It Was You All Along
It Was You All Along
She found herself pursing her lips, gradually looking down at the crook of his neck. She felt her heart pounding against her trunk, but instead of answering, she closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest.
Luiz put his arm around Nari, resting his chin on her head. He said, "Nari, please tell me. Stop making me guess."
Nari and Luiz did not realize how long they were just standing there, hugging each other. It wasn't enough that they had been technically taking chances to hold each other since they met at Luiz's school.
They both just lingered there by the door, silently expressing their deepest thoughts, but without no words, they can only make assumptions.
Hearing only their breaths, Luiz spoke again, "Nari... if you can't tell me. Can -can you show me?"
Nari only reached for his back and clutched her hands together. She gave a slight nod and heard Luiz say, "Nari if my instincts are telling me the right thing then - then I'll act on it. Your response will tell me how to proceed."
Luiz maintained to hold Nari tight. He really could not understand her actions, but he just had to take the chance. Now was the right time. He could not wait another day to clear this strange feeling Nari was giving him.
He leaned over, slouching his tall frame, and pressed his face against her own. He moved really, really slow, making sure his actions were clear to Nari until he found the opportunity. He pecked on her cheek. He instantly felt Nari's hand gripped at the back of his jacket.
Luiz waited for seconds more and he felt her taking deep breaths, turning to his face. He thought he was in a dream, but it was real. Nari pecked back on his cheek.
Nari could literally hear Luiz's heart, but then again, she was equally nervous. They were both about to take a step where there was no turning back. She could only hope she was doing the right thing.
The next thing Nari felt was Luiz slightly pulling away. She shut her eyes tighter, shying away from seeing Luiz's reaction.
She felt his face nearing to hers that she took a deep breath.
A soft peck landed on the corner of her lip and she knew where he was going with it. Still, she did not pull away. Instead, her hands climbed up to Luiz's neck and kept him in place. She heard him whisper, "Show me, Nari. I expect a response."
Sensing her own heart was about to explode, she gasped again before tilting her head up. However, because she refused to open her eyes, Nari wound up pecking directly into Luiz's lips.
It was more than enough acknowledgement for Luiz to understand that he could do more. His body trembled as he moved closer, pecking on Nari's lips.
Just as he covered her rims, he went for another kiss. It was sweet and brief, mere pecks, but enough to send chills down their spine.
Soon after, he pulled away, raising his head up and standing tall. He gulped before resting his chin back on Nari's head. More than the racing of his heart, he thought he was going to weep. It just seemed too surreal to him.
After sensing Luiz's turned nostalgic, Nari found the courage to speak. She said, "Luiz, I'm so afraid. I don't ever want us to make a mistake and lose each other."
"Nari, why would it be a mistake if it feels so right?" Luiz answered outright. Sniffing his emotions away, he sought, "Can I ask you something?"
She just nodded while remaining to rest on his chest.
"I can never imagine my life without you, Nari. Can you see yourself ever being with someone else than me? Because the truth is, I just can't," Luiz told.
"What can I do? I fell in love with my best friend and I don't want to be with anyone else," Luiz admitted again.
Nari wound up crying at his words. Somehow, she felt relieved that he looked up to him and said, "Luiz, you don't know how much it pained me that you left. All this time - being away from you, I realize just how much I really just want to be with you."
More tears fell down her cheeks that she rested her face on his chest again. She said, "Luiz, please don't leave me."
Hearing Nari express her thoughts, Luiz took a quick gasped and with nothing holding him back, he put both his hands on Nari's cheeks. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyes, her nose until finally settling on her lips.
Nari's hands landed on his arms as he repeatedly kissed on her lips. She ended up kissing back with mere gentle nibbles.
"I - I never wanted to leave, Nari, but I had to," he took the chance to say, merely pulling away for a second. He immediately returned to giving her more pecks.
Nari received two more of his kisses. She tasted more of his tears and it was the same for him. Only after he paused did she ask again, "Then - then why did you leave, Luiz?"
With a heavy heart, he finally revealed, "Because." He took a deep breath again, leaning back and puffing out his cheeks."
"Luiz?" She asked again.
Luiz ran his hand across his jaws and resumed his earlier words, "Because you - you were not seeing me, Nari and - and it was too painful to be so close to you and you may never love me back."
"You wanted your dream prince so much and I was never him - never the one to you'd consider your ideal man," he added.
His voice became softer than he further explained, "So I left with the hopes that I could be that man for you. Either that or... at least, I'd be away when you do."
Nari looked down at their hands after Luiz told her the truth. She suspected it, but back then he never really admitted it. 'So it was me after all. I led him to leave me.'
Her eyes flooded even more, and she crashed back into his arms. She said, "I'm so sorry, Luiz. I'm so sorry. I should have known better."
An hour passed, and they continued to cry out their pains. They both tucked into each other's embrace, leaning back on the headboard of the bed.
Fitting her fingers against Luiz's hand, Nari softly said, "Luiz, did you know that over time, my prince material evolved as you left?"
Her head was resting on his shoulder. He inhaled before telling, "Chan-Mi and Geun were right. All this time, I had envisioned my perfect man, but on that list, I... I had been describing you all along."
Nari got up and climbed to sit on Luiz's lap. She flushed before pecking on his lips and said, "Luiz, it was you all along." She paused, gathering up the courage to add, "Luiz, can I - can I make you, mine?"
Luiz chucked and pecked back. He said, "Nari, you have no idea how I tried to look at another woman."
That made her frown, but Luiz's next words made her cry again. He said, "But no matter how I tried, I could not. I knew I already gave you everything." With a hand on her face, he told, "Nari, you stole my heart completely and there was nothing left to give away."