Bratty Kuya bottom when???

Bad Breaks and Pancake Dates

Pairing: 2p!Canada/Matt Williams x Reader

Anime: Hetalia / 2p!Hetalia

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Synopsis: Your boyfriend (well, now ex-boyfriend) left you out in the rain, and your older brother Philippines is stuck in a World Meeting between the first and second player countries. He asks Canada’s second player to come get you, seemingly unaware of the Canadian’s little crush on you.

Warning(s): Swearing, slight mentions of a toxic/unhealthy relationship

Note: Just a reminder that none of you deserve to be in an unhealthy relationship !! You all deserve to be happy, and I wish you all nothing but happiness and good health in your lives (´･ᴗ･ ` ) please enjoy!

Story is down below!

~

You hugged yourself in a weak attempt to stay warm, the trees above you doing little to defend you from the rain.

It was difficult to tell if the drops running down your cheeks were from your own tears or the rain. You didn’t expect it to rain; it was supposed to be a fun day out with your boyfriend, so you had dressed in some of your best attire. Unfortunately, it did little to protect you from the rain.

After breaking it off with you, your asshole of a now ex-boyfriend had left you off at the side of the road. He had responded to your protests with a few not so kind words before driving off, leaving you to stand outside in the cold.

Your phone rang, and with slightly numb fingers you managed to press the “answer” button before holding it up to your ear.

You were met with Matt’s gruff voice. “Hey, where are you?” 

“I don’t know,” you said weakly. “There aren’t any street signs nearby.”

“Can you send me your location?”

“I think so.”

“Alright.” You heard the sound of a vehicle starting up. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. Your brother sent me to come get you.”

“Oh. Thanks, Matt.”

He simply gave a small grunt in response before hanging up, leaving you to yourself once more.

~

You stared out the window mindlessly. Music played from the radio, the volume too low for you to know what kind of tune it was. Matt had given you a spare sweatshirt that he had in the backseat of his car; you noticed that it was the same sweatshirt that you had given to him one Christmas. You could smell the faint scent of maple syrup and cigarette smoke coming from the article of clothing.

A small smile formed on your lips. You remember how Matt was when you had given him the sweatshirt; his face had become a bright red, muttering something about how stupid your gift was. He had said that he would never wear such a thing, but that obviously turned out to be a lie.

Matt suddenly cleared his throat, bringing you out of your thoughts.

“So what happened?” he asked. Though he sounded uninterested, the glance he gave you showed the complete opposite. “You were crying when I arrived.”

You felt your cheeks warm at his statement. “You noticed that?”

“Of course I did. You don’t usually look that unhappy.”

“I guess.” You fiddled with the sweatshirt, taking notice of how the sleeves fell well past your fingertips. With a small sigh, you decided to tell him. “My boyfriend broke up with me.”

You didn’t notice the way that Matt’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, eyes narrowing behind his dark shades.

“Are you fucking serious?”

You were caught off guard by the Canadian’s response. You felt the anger radiating off of him, and it started to make you nervous.

“Yeah, I am,” you said, tugging on the sweatshirt sleeve now. “He broke it off when we were coming back from the movies. He parked somewhere, and he…”

You suddenly went quiet, letting out a shaky breath.

“He wanted to do some things,” you went on, after a few seconds had passed. “I told him I wasn’t ready for that stuff just yet. He kept trying to convince me, and eventually he got angry and… well, we broke up.” 

You felt your throat tighten, and you realized that you were now close to crying again. You felt a small nudge on your hand, and you looked down to see that while Matt still had one hand on the wheel, the other was now holding out a handkerchief.

As if sensing your confusion, Matt gave a small sound of annoyance. “What?”

“Nothing!” You quickly took the piece of cloth from him. “Thanks, Matt.”

“Do you wanna eat somewhere?” he suddenly asked. You didn’t know if you were seeing things, but you could’ve sworn that there was a faint blush on his cheeks. “We can talk more about this over dinner or something.”

You felt yourself smile at his words.

“Sure.”

~

The sweet taste of maple syrup filled your mouth as you took a bite of pancake. Matt had taken you to a local diner that he visited quite often; despite his initial plan to take you somewhere nicer, you had been quick to remember his love for pancakes. (“I haven’t had breakfast for dinner in awhile,” you had told him. “Let’s go get pancakes so that the both of us can enjoy!”).

“You know, I don’t eat pancakes often,” you said, “but these are great. Thanks for taking me here, Matt.”

“Don’t mention it.” He took a sip of his coffee, his attention on the stack of pancakes in front of you.

You took notice of his stare, head tilting slightly. “Do you want some?” you asked.

“I’m fine.”

In reality, he just couldn’t bring himself to look you in the eye. It didn’t help that he was so close to you; the two of you were sitting right across from each other, and he could feel your gaze on him as he spoke. It made him feel strange, to say the least.

The diner was mostly empty. A small number of tables were filled; it seemed as though some people also had the idea of having breakfast for dinner. It was mostly quiet, save for the double doors leading to the kitchen occasionally swinging about and the faint chatter coming from the few customers that interacted with one another.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t order anything,” you said, stabbing another piece of pancake onto your fork. “You love pancakes, Matt.”

“I’m good with my coffee,” he said. He was about to take another sip of his drink, only to pause when you held out a piece of pancake to him.

“Here,” you said, smiling. “You can share with me.”

He stared at you in shock, the lack of shades allowing you to look into his violet eyes.

“Come on, Matt,” you urged. “I can’t finish these on my own, anyway.”

Knowing that you wouldn’t stop unless he gave in, he gave a small grumble before reluctantly opening his mouth. His cheeks were now a faint pink, and you couldn’t help but feel your own cheeks warm as you fed him the bite.

“I put extra maple syrup on that one,” you said. “I know how much you like that stuff.” You gave a small laugh at your own words, remembering that Matt had also poured some syrup into his coffee when he thought you weren’t looking.

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as you continued to eat, occasionally giving Matt a bite in between his sips of coffee.

~

Heavy footsteps followed your own as you made your way up the front porch steps. Your brother had rented the house for a month; while the world meeting was held in Canada and only lasted for a day, he had rented the home for a month so that the two of you would have more time to explore the country.

“Thanks for today, Matt,” you said, reaching the front door. “I had fun.”

The Canadian stood at the bottom of the steps, not bothering to make his way up entirely. It was already late; he had to leave soon in order to avoid a lecture from Oliver once he got home.

Hands shoved into his pockets, Matt gave a small nod at your words.

“Get home safe, okay?” you said. “And message me when you do. I want to make sure you get home safely.”

You really were too nice. He watched as you took out a key from your pocket, unlocking the front door.

Matt couldn’t stop himself. “Hey, (Y/N)?”

“Hm?” You had been halfway inside already, and you turned to look at him. “What is it?”

“Your ex-boyfriend,” he said. “Forget about him, okay? He was a fucking asshole.” He looked off the side, and even in the dark you could see his slight blush. “You deserve someone better. Someone who’ll do things when you’re comfortable.”

“Matt…”

He didn’t have time to react as you made your way back down the steps, grabbing him by the front of his flannel in order to pull him down. He felt a slight pressure on his cheek, and his eyes widened at the realization that you had kissed him.

“Thank you,” you said softly.

He couldn’t do anything but stare as you let go of his shirt and headed back up the stairs, giving him a small wave before disappearing into the house.

After a few seconds of standing there, Matt shook his head and began to make his leave, unaware of the fact that he now held a slight smile.

~

[Bonus]

“Ha! I knew it!”

“Kuya...”

Your older brother gulped at the sound of your voice, turning around slowly. He had been watching the two of you from his bedroom window.

You stood there, a smile on your face. Though your smile was usually sweet, the way you stared at him sent shivers down his spine.

“Were you watching us?” you asked.

Your brother gave a nervous laugh in response. “Aha, (Y/N), you know-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, for you had already thrown a slipper at his face.

“Mind your own business next time!” you huffed, ignoring his groans of pain and weak apologies as you headed towards your room.

~

Translations:

Kuya - older boy/older brother

Ooohh, maybe [watching horror movies and being afraid to go to bed] for the twins, paddy, and robert with heart mc being the one that's too scared to go to sleep? Bassicaly just family night on halloween. I wanna ask for jullie too but i'm worried that would be too much character

Hiii! Sorry to keep you waiting! I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you enjoy it!

***

That was the worst idea ever.

I know I'm Level 12 now, and I shouldn't be so scared anymore, but I'll never watch another stupid horror movie again, ever. I don't care if Lily or my brother calls me a scaredy cat, but I like being able to sleep.

I pick up my pillow and put it on the other side of the bed, pulling my stuffed turtle closer. I reach out for my phone again, just in time to see it turn midnight—or the witching hour, as JM likes to call it. Mommy's last text still says "Happy Halloween!" and she still hasn't responded to my many messages about how 'Happy Halloween' should be an oxymoron.

I take a deep breath and sit up as my belly grumbles. It's too late to sleep now, and it sucks that we still have school tomorrow. Well, today.

I grab Mr. Turtle and quietly sneak out of my room to get some snacks downstairs, when I notice that Paddy's door is slightly open. He decided to sleep early today, but he's always awake at this time, so maybe he's still awake?

I tiptoe towards the door, and… cover my mouth as I try not to giggle. My brother's not only sleeping beside Paddy, I've never seen him sleeping with Ms. Turtle for like a couple of years now.

I rub Mr. Turtle's head. "Well, who's the scaredy cat now, Kuya? I thought you were braver than me?"

Feeling a little braver, I head downstairs and grab an orange-frosted cupcake from the refrigerator. Wayne gave us some when we went trick-or-treating earlier, and now I understand why Rosie can't get enough of his cupcakes. He should have his own bakery. A Waynery?

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Tita Julie's phone ring. I quickly finish my cupcake before I get caught, but just as I'm about to go upstairs again, I hear Tito Robert mumbling.

"Just answer it kasi, Julie. Mags wouldn't be bothering you at this time if it wasn't important."

"She's just gonna ask again how the twins are doing like she always does."

"How is that a bad thing?"

"It's not. But she never even asks about me."

The ringing stops abruptly. How come Mommy's calling Tita Julie but not me? I told her I couldn't sleep.

And then I hear a half-sleepy Paddy call my name as he comes downstairs along with my brother, who's still holding onto Ms. Turtle.

I put a hand on my hips. "I saw you sleeping with Paddy. I thought you weren't scared."

"I—I wasn't scared!" My brother looks at the floor. "I just… I just remembered Mommy. Yeah."

Paddy scratches his head with a sigh, and knocks on his parents' bedroom. "Mommy, Tita Maggie was calling. She said she couldn't reach you."

Tita Julie opens the door after a moment. She's a little surprised we're both awake, but she just reaches for Paddy's phone. "I was about to answer, but then my phone died."

And just as she lifts the phone to her ears, we hear Tita Julie's ringtone ā̷͔g̶̟̈ȧ̶͔î̵͜n̶̥̓.

A Christmas Wish - Prologue

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Filipino!Reader

A/N: First off, thank you so so much anon for requesting this! I’m sorry that I didn’t get to this sooner! This oneshot will be multiple parts as well, as there’s so much to the Filipino culture that I’d love to take time to uncover, and I just think one part will not suffice. My culture is something I hold deep in my heart being a Filipino American, so I hope that you all feel the same love and joy I feel when surrounding myself into this wonderful culture. Anon, I hope this brings you joy and that this request fulfills your wishes! Happy reading, lovelies!

Request: hi! i know it’s a bit late but can I please request a filipino! reader spending the holidays in the philippines with steve rogers? thank you! I hope you decide to do this!

“Thank you for flying Philippine Airlines, the heart of the Filipino,” the flight attendant says into the intercom, finishing her speech before she takes her seat. You squealed and fastened your seatbelt as well as adjusting your business class seat, thanks to your wonderful boyfriend. You looked over at him with pure excitement. 

“You know, when you said you had a big gift for me for the holidays, I didn’t think it would be a planned trip to the Philippines!” you exclaimed with a giggle, making Steve smile and peck your lips before holding your hand. I knew my best girl misses her family back at home. The team helped me arrange this for us. I’m glad you’re excited.” You smile even more. “It’s perfect Steve. Thank you. Hayyyy, if only my parents and brother can be able to experience this with us. They’d love to see the relatives as much as I do.” However, your wishful thinking came to a halt as the plane’s tires met the ground, indicating that your flight landed safely. You giggled and clapped along with the small kids, lolos (grandpas), and lolas (grandmas) when the plane started to slow down and park itself, leaving Steve confused as he slowly followed suit. 

After you went through customs and obtained all the luggage for your month-long stay, it didn’t take long for Steve to notice that this was so so much different from Brooklyn, or the United States in general. The humidity already caught him off guard despite the various times you’ve warned about the heat. But, there were more important things coming at you very very soon. 

The minute you two walked to the sliding doors into the humid weather, you were greeted by a huge crowd of people. “Huy! Andito na s’ya! Dali! Dali, andito na!” (Hey! She’s here! Hurry! Hurry! She’s here!) You heard someone exclaim before the huge crowd made its way towards you. With a wide smile you squeal and hug each of your family, exchanging short conversations before moving to the next family member. “That’s her family” Steve concluded with shock, watching the exchanges in awe quietly, away from the bunch. “NANAY! TATAY! (Mom! Dad!)” You gasp in surprise, the tears you tried so hard to hold in finally were let out, as your parents embrace you tightly, your older brother joining the long awaited reunion.

“Oh, anak. We’ve missed you! Ang ganda mo rin, nako, Daddy, matanda na tayo!” (You’re so beautiful too, goodness, Daddy, we are old now!) You mom says proudly, taking a step back alongside your father as they look at you with pride. “Nako, Mommy wag mo magsabi yun, matagal lang hindi tayo nagkita!” (Goodness, mommy don’t say that, we just haven’t seen each other in a while!) You respond back, wiping your tears away and smiling. “But.. how did you know I was coming?” “Your boyfriend, anak. Hah, kaya nga pala hanggang tenga ang ngiti mo!” (No wonder you’re smiling from ear to ear) Your dad teases as a smirk grows on his face, but your eyes widened as you remembered. 

“Steve!” you exclaimed as you made your way to him, holding his hand and quickly pulling him towards where your parents and kuya is, a nervous smile now on your face. “Ma, Pa, Kuya, ito si Steve. Boyfriend ko po.” (This is Steve. My boyfriend.) You say a bit nervously, clutching onto his hand. Steve smiled shyly, politely extending his hand to shake your brother’s hand. Right after, he gently took your mom’s hand and brought it to his forehead, doing the same with your dad’s, leaving your family pleasantly surprised. “I am Steve. Steve Rogers. It’s nice to meet you in the flesh. Ummm… thank you for being able to come. I’m sorry if it was last minute.” Steve says shyly and nervously as he holds your hand again, not sure whether his hands were sweating from the humidity or the nervousness. Your mom couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow, anak. You even taught him how to bless! Hello, Steve. Thank you for letting us tag along with you two. We got a little lonely in LA when our daughter flew out to New York,” she teases with a laugh. “I see you were so kind to shoot us a call to come here. What kind of guy like you is doing with my daughter?” Your dad butts in, eyebrows raised as he inspects Steve up and down.

“I just wanna give Y/N the love she deserves, sir,” Steve responds, earning a big smile from your dad before he pats Steve on the back. “Very good, very good. Then she picked well.” He nods in approval before a thumbs up. “Mommy, Daddy, tara na, alis na tayo. Para pwede na tayo magpahinga,” (Come on, let’s leave. So we can relax.) You say, motioning to your bags. “Hoy! Kami na, bebe, huwag ka magalala! Pasok lang kayo sa van!” (We can do it, bebe, don’t worry! You guys just go in the van!) One of your Titas exclaimed, helping you all load your stuff in the trunk. You laughed as you saw your cousins and Titas take a peek at your boyfriend. “Ang tangkad n’ya!” (he’s so tall!) “Gwapo n’ya!” (he’s handsome) “Bagay sila dalawa!” (They both are fit for each other!) Your Titas “whisper” to each other as they made their ways to either the van or the jeepney. You giggled as you buckled yourself up next to Steve, your parents and kuya joining you two as well, sighing when the AC meets your sweaty face. “To get to Lucena City, it’ll take about 4 hours. So we can just sit tight.” You say excitedly as Steve wraps an arm around you. “Good to know. Maybe you can catch me up on some of your culture while we get there.” Steve chuckles, earning a laugh from your parents. “Oh, don’t worry, we’ll help you with that.” Your mom giggles, the van now starting to make its way out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Steve never experienced anything like this, but he was quite entertained at the immediate welcome as well as the loud and chaotic, yet jolly atmosphere your family gave off. He was stepping into another world. Your world. Your heritage. Sure, you were from LA then became a New Yorker, but deep down, you were Filipino, and Steve was excited to see the part of you that held the most valuable spot in your heart throughout this month.

Tags: @world-of-aus @world-of-aus-reads @whew-oh-em-gee @tomholland-96 @lordyitsjordy @letstalkaboutsebbaby @thee-soom-soom @lookiamtrying @vesper852 @hailhydra920 @buckybarnesthehotshot @heyiamthatbitch​

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Time of Your Life

Pairing: Harry Holland x Protagonist (brief, planned), Tom Holland x Protagonist (main, planned) 

Synopsis: Jacob Batalon’s youngest cousin (Protagonist) is now -- as of August -- 18 years old. At the nearly-ripe age of 17, she accompanied her cousin to the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere where she grows acquainted with the younger crowd of the star-studded cast and -- most importantly -- piques the interest of two Holland boys, Harry (who’s the same age) and Tom (who’s three years her senior). 

Author’s Note: There's some Tagalog in this fic because I’ve always wondered how in-touch Jacob is with his Filipinx roots. I saw a few of his instagram posts and watched a few interviews where he mentions some tidbits of family life, so that’s how I figured I would forge a connection between the protagonist and Tom, here. Don’t worry, though. There’re translations! 

Word Count: 1,077 (without translations)

Part I: Girl, Persuaded   In which the protagonist of this story – Maja – is persuaded by her older cousin, Jacob Batalon, to attend one of the biggest events of his life.

"I don't even know why you're thinking of taking me, kuya (older male cousin)" I complained. Mom and Dad were staring at me with disapproving eyes as my voice shifted from its natural pitch to something more irritating, like my ilong (nose). "Kuya, you know that I hate flying and you know I should be doing my summer reading by then. I'm still reeling from rejection and I don't think I'll have the composure, nor the spirit to go with you to the premiere."

"Aroooooyyy,” (interjection of shock) Mom whispered into Dad’s ear from across the living room. She was mumbling in Tagalog, but from the little snippets I heard, I could piece together her shock over me not taking my pinsan’s (cousin) offer.

“You’ve known that you were the one I wanted to take for the longest time,” Kuya stressed over the phone. “You and Ate Nicky’s husband were the only ones who knew from the beginning and you don’t want to go now?”

“Kuya, I—”

“I can’t take Kuya Jerome, he’s in the military!” normally, Jacob was the king of equanimity, but this was due. I was pulling bullshit on him, unapologetically. “It’s the same day as prom,” I murmured, with a melancholic drop in my voice. “I’m in ASB and Alicia’s on the prom committee. I helped review the finances for that, and it’s the first time we’re ever going to have prom Downtown. El Cortez.”

“You don’t even have a date, though, Ading! (younger female cousin)” There was a pause, and the crackling sound over the phone was enough to convey Jacob’s remorse for being so frustrated. He didn’t just insult me, he rubbed salt and lemon juice into a wound I was recovering from. Just two days ago, they boy I had a crush on tantalizingly allowed for a rumour to go around that he was going to ask me to prom, but then was caught chatting with his two football friends – Adam and Joey – about how annoying and embarrassing it would be to hang out with my friends.

“They’re all, like, weird.” My friend Sam had overheard their conversation in class and reported that Jake – the boy I liked – said that during lunch. After a few more minutes, I contemplated hanging up on Jacob. I figured that he was a hilarious actor and he told me about a few upcoming projects, so there would be more premieres to go to. However, he managed to persuade me right as my finger slid up to the “END” button.

“Ading  – Maja…” he said my name with such a tropical ease, and without the severity of the Tagalog tongue: “Mah-huhhhh,” and not “Mah-HAH.”

“What?” I snapped.

“You’ve already been Downtown loads of times. Comic-Con was there, and we went to a party at the El Cortez with Tom and Harrison and them,” he had a point. I had already experienced the El Cortez at its prime – there was an Entertainment Weekly after party there for the conclusion of SDCC. However, I wasn’t allowed on the balcony because I was (1) underage, and (2) not famous. Jacob hadn’t generated enough star-power to get me in yet, and it seemed like he was already intoxicated when I got to the shindig.

“Of course, Jacob. You enjoyed it, so I enjoyed it, too,” I wasn’t trying to be sardonic, I swear. I was just really irritated. “I didn’t even have a good time! You got me a pass for Sunday and you didn’t even let me see your panel!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he protested. “Don’t be like that, don’t pull that shit. You mean a lot to me and I wanted you out of all people to accompany me. Not even my mom and sister. I know it’s prom night and all that, but c’mon. Weigh one unique opportunity over another. Do you wanna see that Jake kid dancing with some other person or do you wanna see this Jake kid on the big screen alongside some of the coolest people on the planet?”

“I-I…” the whole history of my cousins’ and my relationship flashed before me. We had way older siblings that could never relate to us, and since we were a mere three years apart, we ended up dragging each other on various escapades. Could I dare let him down during one of the biggest moments in his life, and one of the most formative periods of mine?

Not really. I remembered that Spider-Man: Homecoming was a coming-of-age movie and that I owed it to myself to conclude my adolescence with something ballsy and unexpected. After a few devastating blows – Jake being the most trivial, a few college rejections being the most brutal – I didn’t deserve to have a sucky time at Prom, where all I’d do is peer off the ledge and watch the cars drive by while everyone else was grinding on each other. No, I was going to Los Angeles as my movie star cousin’s date to the premiere of the summer’s hottest movie.

“Fair point, kuya,” I conceded. “Fine, I’ll go. You’re freakin’ lucky my dumbass legit thought Jake was going to fucking ask me and I bought a dress.”

“Helllllaaaaaa,” he was doing the shaka with his free hand, wherever he was calling from. “What color’s the dress? We’ll match.”

“White,” I said.

“Cool, that’ll match with anything. I’ll text you the details.”

And with that, Jacob and I said our goodbyes. My spatial recognition came back to me and I realized I’d made it from the living room downstairs to my bedroom upstairs. I chucked the phone on my bed and heard the “thud” as it hit my firm mattress. Thoughts and emotions meandered through my head and my heart, as the more I thought about how I would prepare myself, the more I could hear my heart beating and my hands shaking. I could’ve fainted.

Of all the things to think about, though, a prevailing and underlying memory flashed across my mind: famous people sort of already knew who I was, of my existence. There was a possibility that Jacob and them already talked about who they’d bring to the event, and since Jacob was meticulous and strategic about this, there was a high chance that the cast of the movie would anticipate my presence – well, at least the younger ones. Or they’d pay me no mind.  

Scare

She heard the door burst open and his voice ringing through the bathroom after she hurled one last time into the toilet. Struggling to catch her bearings and her breath as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, she stood up and hurriedly flushed the toilet before walking towards the sink to rinse. “Ano ba? Basta basta ka nalang pumapasok! Di ka man lang kumatok!” she spat, trying to cover up the terror she was feeling with anger towards him. "Baby, I'm sorry. I was calling you a while ago, didn't you hear me? Are you alright?" he asked as he moved towards her. "Ugh, James," she muttered. "Love? You look so pale. Are you still feeling sick? What's wrong?" He questioned with concern as he reached to stroke her face. She dodged his touch and moved away to rinse her mouth again and wash her hands. "What's wrong is I can't even be in the toilet in private anymore. You're invading my privacy, James, God," she groaned and moved to exit the bathroom. James, being the ever concerned and hovering boyfriend that he was, followed her out. He stopped by the door and stared as she paced back and forth the hotel room they were sharing. With her back to him, she finally stopped pacing. "Love—" "I think I'm pregnant, James," she blurted out and closed her eyes, scared of whatever was going to happen next. The air in the room was starting to thicken and the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Her breaths were also staring to deepen as she stood perfectly still, waiting for him to say something. "Nadine?" he whispered, his voice almost shaking. She felt him walk towards her but she didn't move. The irrational anger she felt for him invading her private moment was starting to near its ugly end, so she kept her mouth shut. "Nadine?" He tried again, his shaky voice even closer than before. A muffled whimper was all she could manage to express as he stepped to her side and placed his open hand against her back. The only thing keeping her from collapsing on the floor was his touch. "Love, say something," he pleaded as his hand started to rub gentle circles across her back. "What do you want me to say, James?" she mumbled, crossing her arms against her chest. "What's going on? What made you think that? How?" he stammered, the hand on her back making its way to her hair where he gathered it and moved it off her neck, allowing air to touch her flushed skin. Nadine groaned. "I don't know, okay? I'm not really sure. I just, I, God, umm," she stuttered as tears pricked her eyes and her hands started to shake. "Why didn't you mention anything...uh, why didn't you tell me that you thought..." he started and stopped before clearing his throat and drawing his hand from her body. She could only shrug and sniff in an attempt to keep from breaking into a full blown crying fit. She heard him move. Turning her head slightly, she could see the bed dip lightly as he sat down on the edge and his hands cradled his own hung head. “Are you going to say something else here?” he asked and struggled to find the words he needed. “No,” she whispered and picked up her head so she could look down at him. Lifting his head from his hands, he reached out for her and wrapped his hand around the small of her back, pulling slightly to try and get her to move towards him. “Come here, Love,” he pulled her gently and gave her time to straighten and shuffle towards him. Throwing her head towards the ceiling she jutted her bottom lip out and blew the hair out of her face, before looking down at him. Running his hand up her leg, he reached and opened his free hand, offering it to her as he moved further to the center of the bed. Biting back her tears she slipped her hand into his and let him pull her down onto his lap. Wiggling and adjusting, she moved her knees to the outside of his legs and settled onto his thighs, burying her face into his chest. "Everything's gonna be alright, love. I'm right here. I'm with you." She pulled her hand from his grip and placed her balled up fists beneath her chin, withdrawing from him, even though she was perched directly on his lap. Their breaths were the only sounds in the confined space as they waited impatiently for the other to speak. Her mind was racing, but she was afraid to look at him. She wasn’t afraid of him or his reaction, just terrified of the situation as a whole. She had wanted to find out herself and take time to digest the results before she told him. On one hand she hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up and then crush him if she’d been wrong. On the other hand, if she was right, she needed time to come to terms with the news herself, before she had to deal with his crazy excitement. Shuddering, she pressed herself further into his chest. Immediately his hands wound around her body and held her tight. Releasing her fists, she splayed her hands flat against his chest and smoothed them across his pecs, walking them up his body, and wrapping them around his neck. Rolling her forehead against his shirt, she settled her ear over his beating heart and closed her eyes briefly before crooking her neck and opening her eyes to meet his. Looking down at her, he was relieved when he could finally see her eyes, but the fear they held washed away his comfort just as fast as it came and replaced it with worry. She looked so afraid and tiny in his arms. Her wide brown eyes were shiny with unshed tears and framed by her red, puffy lids. They sat there silently for what seemed like hours, both afraid to move, contented in the cloud of comfort they were giving each other. They were interrupted by a knock followed by Ate Ca's voice. "Ateng? Malapit na tayo umalis. Okay ka na ba?" Nadine looked up at James, worry in her eyes. "Ill handle it," he said, gently moving her from his lap and she immediately laid down, the exhaustion finally getting to her, and her headache from a while ago coming back. He covered her with the comforter and kissed her forehead before going to answer the door. "Okay na si Nadine?" Ate Ca asked James when he opened the door to let her in. He only shook his head then looked over at Nadine. "Nako, naka schedule na pa naman yung boat tour. Magsstart na yun in two hours, medyo matagal yung byahe and you're both expected to be there," Ate Ca explained. "But she's sick!" James answered loudly. Before Ate Ca could answer, Barbie entered the room, Nadine's things and a medicine bag in his hand. "Ateng, inom ka ng gamot para mawala yung hilo and pagsusuka mo, dali!" "No!" James bellowed, startling both the RMs. "Kuya, paano naman gagaling yang si Nadine if di papainumin—" "She might be pregnant," he blurted out. Ate Ca and Barbie looked at each other, their mouths agape. James heard Nadine sniff so he walked towards the bed and went under the covers with her. He pulled her into his arms as she started to cry softly again. Barbie looked over at Carly. "Mars!" He whispered as he started to panic. Ate Ca remained calm, shushed Barbie and dragged him by the arm. "Wait here, kids, ah." Once they exited the hotel room, Barbie started to talk rapidly. "Nako, Mars. Pano na to, jusko. Wala to sa plano natin, jusko yung mga alaga natin. Nako si Ateng ang bata pa niyan. Marami pang plano si Boss Vic diyan. Mars, ayokong maging parang Sharon Gabby mga alaga natin—" "Sssh, ano ba, wait lang," Ate Ca dismissed him. "Di pa naman tayo sure eh. They think pa nga lang di ba?" "So ano na?" _____ "Nadine?" Ate Ca entered the room again with Barbie trailing behind. "Pwede ba tayo magusap?" She sat on the edge of the bed where Nadine's side was. Nadine's response was to move so that she was facing her, but James had his arms around her torso, refusing to let go of her. "James, pwede ko ba muna makausap si Nadine?" she asked softly. "Whatever you say to her, you can say to me," he replied. Ate Ca didn't argue. She's known James for a long time and arguing with her stubborn alaga would get them nowhere. "Ilang weeks ka na bang late, Ateng?" "Two." "And nung isang araw ka pa nagsusuka, di ba?" Nadine nodded. "Anong nafefeel mo ngayon, nahihilo ka ba? May gusto ka ba kainin?" "Nahihilo. Masakit ulo, nanghihina." "Nagtake ka na ba ng test?" She shook her head. Carly felt some sort of relief. They weren't certain yet. There's still a possibility that she wasn't pregnant. "Okay so, pahinga ka nalang muna dito, wag ka na muna pumunta dun sa event, si James nalang muna—" "No, I'm staying with her." "Pero Kuya, ineexpect kasi kayo dun. Major sponsors yun. May contract." "I can't just leave her alone!" "Di naman siya alone, magstay ako dito, Kuya." James sat up. "No, I wanna stay with Nadine." "Love, go ahead already. Okay lang ako." "No, Nadine. Dito lang ako," he replied, then laid back down again. After a few minutes of trying to make James go, with no success, Ate Ca decided to bring out the big guns... Lauren. "James can I speak to you outside, please?" "No—" "Now, please." James didn't have any choice but to stand up, with Nadine chuckling weakly behind. Lauren had that voice that scared almost all her siblings—including her sometimes. After a few minutes, James entered the room again, explaining to Nadine that he'll be back in no time and that she should get some rest. "I'll take James to the event, and Caryl and Barbie will stay with you, Nadine. Rest well, okay?" Lauren squeezed her hand before leaving. _____ James found himself in a good mood rather than being grumpy once they reached the boat event. Lauren looked over her brother and smirked. He was happily interacting with the people who were in charge of the event. After a few minutes, he walked over towards where Lauren was standing. They were at the edge of the yacht, overlooking the ocean. James just smiled at his sister then looked over at the scene before them. As he heard the tiny waves from the ocean, he closed his eyes. In his mind, he could see himself at the beach together with Nadine, playing at the sand with their son. He could see himself teaching their child how to ride a bike, teaching him/her how to play the piano. He could see himself driving a minivan, taking his kids to school. He started to feel confused. Why was he seeing this? It wasn't for certain yet. Lauren's voice startled him. "You're that ready to be a dad, huh," he smirked. A surge of emotions rushed through him. That was it. He was thinking of him being a dad because he wanted to be a dad. He wanted to be a father. But not just any dad, a dad to him and Nadine's babies. He could only see himself with her. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He was having a moment. _____ "So iihian mo lang itong mga 'to," Ate Ca instructed as she gave Nadine 4 boxes of pregnancy tests. Nadine scrunched her nose. "Ba't ang dami?" "Ganon talaga, para sure tayo." Without any other word, she went inside the bathroom and did as she was told. After about a minute or two, she slightly opened the bathroom door, "Okay na, 3 minutes daw." Ate Ca and Barbie both nodded. Nadine went back inside and stepped away from the sink where four sticks were placed neatly. The three minutes of waiting seemed to be the longest three minutes of her life. She hated this. She hated feeling like this. She hated feeling confused, unaware of what's going to happen. She's always been the kind of person who planned about everything, and this—this is definitely not on her plans, at least not now anyways. Don't get her wrong, she would love to have James' babies, but it's not the right time. With everything that's going on, all the chaos and hectic schedules and the careers they have, it wasn't the right time. They're even on their world tour in New York as of the moment, for Christ's sake. But then images started flashing in her mind. Images of a messy haired boy who had James' eyes running around the house. James playing dress up with their daughter. James with two children in his arms, laughing, looking over at her. James would be an amazing dad. She was pulled out of her reverie when she heard her phone vibrate. It's been 3 minutes. It's time to look. She took a deep breath before looking at the results. One line One line One line One line They were all negative. She mindlessly called Ate Ca and Barbie who immediately came in to check. "Jusko, salamat sa Diyos," Barbie sighed in relief. "Next time, careful na, Ateng, ha," Ate Ca said as Nadine exited the bathroom and laid down in bed. The RMs said they'd let her rest, and the moment the door closed behind them, she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. And she started crying. _____ James was talking to some of the people at the event when his phone vibrated. Good news! Took the tests and they're all negative. Not pregnant! _____ When James arrived back at the hotel, Nadine was lying in bed. "Hey," he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. "Are you feeling better?" With a weak half hearted smile, she nodded. James removed his shoes and climbed into bed with her and situated himself under the covers. He could feel the warmth of her body as he enveloped her into a hug. "How are you really feeling?" "Fine," Nadine mumbled, burying her face into his chest. "So we're not pregnant..." James finally said. Nadine looked up at him, her face serious. "No." He nodded and remained silent. "I'm just gonna go clean up a bit, okay?" _____ James took long in the bathroom, hoping that Nadine would be asleep by the time he got out. But she wasn't, she was sitting up at the bed, waiting for him. "So...are you gonna say something?" "What? No," he replied and continued to dry his hair, avoiding her gaze. "Come on, say it." "Nadine, I don't have anything to say." "Then why won't you look at me?" She challenged. James sighed and finally turned to look at her. "Baby, nothing's wrong. You're fine. You're not pregnant. There's nothing we should be worried about. We're happy," he smiled. Nadine rolled her eyes. "But you could be happier. We could be happier." "Don't," he said as he sat down in front of her on the bed. "Can't we just forget about this and go to bed?" "I'm just saying I know you'd be happier if I was pregnant—" "Nadine, I promised I'd stop pressuring you and stop bringing it up. And I won't. I'm keeping my promise." "Ugh, James, ano ba. We just had a pregnancy scare so I'm bringing it up! Besides..." she started but she couldn't quite figure out how to end the sentence. How do you tell James Reid that you'd love nothing more than to be the mother of his children? "I know we did, and I promise we'd be more careful next time. I love you, and I'm happy and I don't need kids if you're not ready. I can wait. We have time." She smiled. "I love you too, James." _____

Scare

She heard the door burst open and his voice ringing through the bathroom after she hurled one last time into the toilet. Struggling to catch her bearings and her breath as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, she stood up and hurriedly flushed the toilet before walking towards the sink to rinse. “Ano ba? Basta basta ka nalang pumapasok! Di ka man lang kumatok!” she spat, trying to cover up the terror she was feeling with anger towards him. "Baby, I'm sorry. I was calling you a while ago, didn't you hear me? Are you alright?" he asked as he moved towards her. "Ugh, James," she muttered. "Love? You look so pale. Are you still feeling sick? What's wrong?" He questioned with concern as he reached to stroke her face. She dodged his touch and moved away to rinse her mouth again and wash her hands. "What's wrong is I can't even be in the toilet in private anymore. You're invading my privacy, James, God," she groaned and moved to exit the bathroom. James, being the ever concerned and hovering boyfriend that he was, followed her out. He stopped by the door and stared as she paced back and forth the hotel room they were sharing. With her back to him, she finally stopped pacing. "Love—" "I think I'm pregnant, James," she blurted out and closed her eyes, scared of whatever was going to happen next. The air in the room was starting to thicken and the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Her breaths were also staring to deepen as she stood perfectly still, waiting for him to say something. "Nadine?" he whispered, his voice almost shaking. She felt him walk towards her but she didn't move. The irrational anger she felt for him invading her private moment was starting to near its ugly end, so she kept her mouth shut. "Nadine?" He tried again, his shaky voice even closer than before. A muffled whimper was all she could manage to express as he stepped to her side and placed his open hand against her back. The only thing keeping her from collapsing on the floor was his touch. "Love, say something," he pleaded as his hand started to rub gentle circles across her back. "What do you want me to say, James?" she mumbled, crossing her arms against her chest. "What's going on? What made you think that? How?" he stammered, the hand on her back making its way to her hair where he gathered it and moved it off her neck, allowing air to touch her flushed skin. Nadine groaned. "I don't know, okay? I'm not really sure. I just, I, God, umm," she stuttered as tears pricked her eyes and her hands started to shake. "Why didn't you mention anything...uh, why didn't you tell me that you thought..." he started and stopped before clearing his throat and drawing his hand from her body. She could only shrug and sniff in an attempt to keep from breaking into a full blown crying fit. She heard him move. Turning her head slightly, she could see the bed dip lightly as he sat down on the edge and his hands cradled his own hung head. “Are you going to say something else here?” he asked and struggled to find the words he needed. “No,” she whispered and picked up her head so she could look down at him. Lifting his head from his hands, he reached out for her and wrapped his hand around the small of her back, pulling slightly to try and get her to move towards him. “Come here, Love,” he pulled her gently and gave her time to straighten and shuffle towards him. Throwing her head towards the ceiling she jutted her bottom lip out and blew the hair out of her face, before looking down at him. Running his hand up her leg, he reached and opened his free hand, offering it to her as he moved further to the center of the bed. Biting back her tears she slipped her hand into his and let him pull her down onto his lap. Wiggling and adjusting, she moved her knees to the outside of his legs and settled onto his thighs, burying her face into his chest. "Everything's gonna be alright, love. I'm right here. I'm with you." She pulled her hand from his grip and placed her balled up fists beneath her chin, withdrawing from him, even though she was perched directly on his lap. Their breaths were the only sounds in the confined space as they waited impatiently for the other to speak. Her mind was racing, but she was afraid to look at him. She wasn’t afraid of him or his reaction, just terrified of the situation as a whole. She had wanted to find out herself and take time to digest the results before she told him. On one hand she hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up and then crush him if she’d been wrong. On the other hand, if she was right, she needed time to come to terms with the news herself, before she had to deal with his crazy excitement. Shuddering, she pressed herself further into his chest. Immediately his hands wound around her body and held her tight. Releasing her fists, she splayed her hands flat against his chest and smoothed them across his pecs, walking them up his body, and wrapping them around his neck. Rolling her forehead against his shirt, she settled her ear over his beating heart and closed her eyes briefly before crooking her neck and opening her eyes to meet his. Looking down at her, he was relieved when he could finally see her eyes, but the fear they held washed away his comfort just as fast as it came and replaced it with worry. She looked so afraid and tiny in his arms. Her wide brown eyes were shiny with unshed tears and framed by her red, puffy lids. They sat there silently for what seemed like hours, both afraid to move, contented in the cloud of comfort they were giving each other. They were interrupted by a knock followed by Ate Ca's voice. "Ateng? Malapit na tayo umalis. Okay ka na ba?" Nadine looked up at James, worry in her eyes. "Ill handle it," he said, gently moving her from his lap and she immediately laid down, the exhaustion finally getting to her, and her headache from a while ago coming back. He covered her with the comforter and kissed her forehead before going to answer the door. "Okay na si Nadine?" Ate Ca asked James when he opened the door to let her in. He only shook his head then looked over at Nadine. "Nako, naka schedule na pa naman yung boat tour. Magsstart na yun in two hours, medyo matagal yung byahe and you're both expected to be there," Ate Ca explained. "But she's sick!" James answered loudly. Before Ate Ca could answer, Barbie entered the room, Nadine's things and a medicine bag in his hand. "Ateng, inom ka ng gamot para mawala yung hilo and pagsusuka mo, dali!" "No!" James bellowed, startling both the RMs. "Kuya, paano naman gagaling yang si Nadine if di papainumin—" "She might be pregnant," he blurted out. Ate Ca and Barbie looked at each other, their mouths agape. James heard Nadine sniff so he walked towards the bed and went under the covers with her. He pulled her into his arms as she started to cry softly again. Barbie looked over at Carly. "Mars!" He whispered as he started to panic. Ate Ca remained calm, shushed Barbie and dragged him by the arm. "Wait here, kids, ah." Once they exited the hotel room, Barbie started to talk rapidly. "Nako, Mars. Pano na to, jusko. Wala to sa plano natin, jusko yung mga alaga natin. Nako si Ateng ang bata pa niyan. Marami pang plano si Boss Vic diyan. Mars, ayokong maging parang Sharon Gabby mga alaga natin—" "Sssh, ano ba, wait lang," Ate Ca dismissed him. "Di pa naman tayo sure eh. They think pa nga lang di ba?" "So ano na?" _____ "Nadine?" Ate Ca entered the room again with Barbie trailing behind. "Pwede ba tayo magusap?" She sat on the edge of the bed where Nadine's side was. Nadine's response was to move so that she was facing her, but James had his arms around her torso, refusing to let go of her. "James, pwede ko ba muna makausap si Nadine?" she asked softly. "Whatever you say to her, you can say to me," he replied. Ate Ca didn't argue. She's known James for a long time and arguing with her stubborn alaga would get them nowhere. "Ilang weeks ka na bang late, Ateng?" "Two." "And nung isang araw ka pa nagsusuka, di ba?" Nadine nodded. "Anong nafefeel mo ngayon, nahihilo ka ba? May gusto ka ba kainin?" "Nahihilo. Masakit ulo, nanghihina." "Nagtake ka na ba ng test?" She shook her head. Carly felt some sort of relief. They weren't certain yet. There's still a possibility that she wasn't pregnant. "Okay so, pahinga ka nalang muna dito, wag ka na muna pumunta dun sa event, si James nalang muna—" "No, I'm staying with her." "Pero Kuya, ineexpect kasi kayo dun. Major sponsors yun. May contract." "I can't just leave her alone!" "Di naman siya alone, magstay ako dito, Kuya." James sat up. "No, I wanna stay with Nadine." "Love, go ahead already. Okay lang ako." "No, Nadine. Dito lang ako," he replied, then laid back down again. After a few minutes of trying to make James go, with no success, Ate Ca decided to bring out the big guns... Lauren. "James can I speak to you outside, please?" "No—" "Now, please." James didn't have any choice but to stand up, with Nadine chuckling weakly behind. Lauren had that voice that scared almost all her siblings—including her sometimes. After a few minutes, James entered the room again, explaining to Nadine that he'll be back in no time and that she should get some rest. "I'll take James to the event, and Caryl and Barbie will stay with you, Nadine. Rest well, okay?" Lauren squeezed her hand before leaving. _____ James found himself in a good mood rather than being grumpy once they reached the boat event. Lauren looked over her brother and smirked. He was happily interacting with the people who were in charge of the event. After a few minutes, he walked over towards where Lauren was standing. They were at the edge of the yacht, overlooking the ocean. James just smiled at his sister then looked over at the scene before them. As he heard the tiny waves from the ocean, he closed his eyes. In his mind, he could see himself at the beach together with Nadine, playing at the sand with their son. He could see himself teaching their child how to ride a bike, teaching him/her how to play the piano. He could see himself driving a minivan, taking his kids to school. He started to feel confused. Why was he seeing this? It wasn't for certain yet. Lauren's voice startled him. "You're that ready to be a dad, huh," he smirked. A surge of emotions rushed through him. That was it. He was thinking of him being a dad because he wanted to be a dad. He wanted to be a father. But not just any dad, a dad to him and Nadine's babies. He could only see himself with her. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He was having a moment. _____ "So iihian mo lang itong mga 'to," Ate Ca instructed as she gave Nadine 4 boxes of pregnancy tests. Nadine scrunched her nose. "Ba't ang dami?" "Ganon talaga, para sure tayo." Without any other word, she went inside the bathroom and did as she was told. After about a minute or two, she slightly opened the bathroom door, "Okay na, 3 minutes daw." Ate Ca and Barbie both nodded. Nadine went back inside and stepped away from the sink where four sticks were placed neatly. The three minutes of waiting seemed to be the longest three minutes of her life. She hated this. She hated feeling like this. She hated feeling confused, unaware of what's going to happen. She's always been the kind of person who planned about everything, and this—this is definitely not on her plans, at least not now anyways. Don't get her wrong, she would love to have James' babies, but it's not the right time. With everything that's going on, all the chaos and hectic schedules and the careers they have, it wasn't the right time. They're even on their world tour in New York as of the moment, for Christ's sake. But then images started flashing in her mind. Images of a messy haired boy who had James' eyes running around the house. James playing dress up with their daughter. James with two children in his arms, laughing, looking over at her. James would be an amazing dad. She was pulled out of her reverie when she heard her phone vibrate. It's been 3 minutes. It's time to look. She took a deep breath before looking at the results. One line One line One line One line They were all negative. She mindlessly called Ate Ca and Barbie who immediately came in to check. "Jusko, salamat sa Diyos," Barbie sighed in relief. "Next time, careful na, Ateng, ha," Ate Ca said as Nadine exited the bathroom and laid down in bed. The RMs said they'd let her rest, and the moment the door closed behind them, she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. And she started crying. _____ James was talking to some of the people at the event when his phone vibrated. Good news! Took the tests and they're all negative. Not pregnant! _____ When James arrived back at the hotel, Nadine was lying in bed. "Hey," he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. "Are you feeling better?" With a weak half hearted smile, she nodded. James removed his shoes and climbed into bed with her and situated himself under the covers. He could feel the warmth of her body as he enveloped her into a hug. "How are you really feeling?" "Fine," Nadine mumbled, burying her face into his chest. "So we're not pregnant..." James finally said. Nadine looked up at him, her face serious. "No." He nodded and remained silent. "I'm just gonna go clean up a bit, okay?" _____ James took long in the bathroom, hoping that Nadine would be asleep by the time he got out. But she wasn't, she was sitting up at the bed, waiting for him. "So...are you gonna say something?" "What? No," he replied and continued to dry his hair, avoiding her gaze. "Come on, say it." "Nadine, I don't have anything to say." "Then why won't you look at me?" She challenged. James sighed and finally turned to look at her. "Baby, nothing's wrong. You're fine. You're not pregnant. There's nothing we should be worried about. We're happy," he smiled. Nadine rolled her eyes. "But you could be happier. We could be happier." "Don't," he said as he sat down in front of her on the bed. "Can't we just forget about this and go to bed?" "I'm just saying I know you'd be happier if I was pregnant—" "Nadine, I promised I'd stop pressuring you and stop bringing it up. And I won't. I'm keeping my promise." "Ugh, James, ano ba. We just had a pregnancy scare so I'm bringing it up! Besides..." she started but she couldn't quite figure out how to end the sentence. How do you tell James Reid that you'd love nothing more than to be the mother of his children? "I know we did, and I promise we'd be more careful next time. I love you, and I'm happy and I don't need kids if you're not ready. I can wait. We have time." She smiled. "I love you too, James." _____