Holding my paint brush, I stroke it on the canvas once more—drawing in warm hues of red, orange, and yellow. Then, a pint of brown around his dark hues.
I held him tightly, like summer night's breeze taking in its audacity to feel warmth around the ocean waves. Cascading ever-so-slightly.
Tears well on my lids, my grasp on him making his shirt wrinkly
'I love my wife' the print on his shirt screamed, slightly covering his muscular chest.
But he didn't smell like sweat at all.
He didn't took off the shirt I've given him yesterday. "What happened?" A breath trailed on my ear, lingering for a while.
A faint breeze damped on an afternoon warmth, a nostalgic aroma reached my nose as my head laid on his chest.
"Just...." I tried to voice out.
"Dylan or...."
I looked up at him, knowing the tears in my corners were left unwiped. But at that moment, I felt heard.
That's why....maybe I didn't mind to be vulnerable...
In front of someone.
A finger brushed my cheek, a hint of warmth radiating thoroughly over me. His eyes gazed in mine like a deep slumber of yesterday.
"You can tell me." He uttered once again, breath low and warm as if comforting me in a warm embrace.
"I...haven't felt this in a while." those words came out of me, as my gaze held him and he held me.
He let out a smile—something he usually do but for some reason, made me feel like home over and over again.
"is it....about your dad?" My brows raised at his remark, feeling the faint beat of my heart louder. Eyes lingered his.
"I'm right." He declared as a hand caressed my hair, brushing in the strands.
"Yeah." I forced a small smile, my head tilted up as my eyes take in his face—it was warm and welcoming.
My hand stopped on the canvas as I took a glimpse of what's in front of me.
A painting of a man with dark brown eyes warmly looking at you, while his neck down to his arm is covered in metallic bolts—very robotic for a human.
My heart skipped a beat, I gulped.
The sketch of Dylan I drew before had no color...but this one,
Feels alive. And makes me feel alive.
I felt his muscular arms wrap around my waist and shoulder, enveloping me in a warm embrace as my tears shed.
The rain poured.
And there was only us in the streets of Binondo.
~0~
"Yeah....that's what happened." I mumbled under my breath, him walking beside me. My head focused on the street ahead, few dogs and people were around.
My eyes were hazy and puffy.
He nodded, "You know..." I tilted my head up, looking at him beside me. "If you really want to be in that career, it's worthy to be pursued."
"Even if it's known and believed to be 'low-paying'?" I uttered with a subtle sarcasm in my tone. "No, film is a job that actually pays." His remark made me pout.
I took a breath. "But what if I don't make it?" I asked and made him pause, gaze focused on me. "What if you did."
"Haven't I told you that you're great?" My brows went up and met each other, a tear faintly swell on my lid.
"The first day you've told me you love arts, especially film?" I looked at him as we walked slower.
"But I'm scared..." Took a breath as we continued to step forward to nowhere in these streets but cautiously not walking too far from home. His gaze lingered on me, waiting for the next thing I'll say.
"I just....don't want my parents dissapointed." Our steps clacked on the streets. I looked down, noticing few snack wrappers on the ground, a hint of dust that were unswept.
"I love them, really. But it hurts when they think of the career I wanted...like that." Letting out a sigh, I felt a hand over my shoulder.
"Annie," Eli called and my head tilted, looking up at him. "You want ice-cream?" eyebrow went up as we walked side-by-side, passing by the colorful red lanterns and Chinese characters written in streets of Binondo—in contrast to the uncleaned canals and sidewalks.
He lifted a hand in the air, "Ice-cream," and his other hand, "plus stories," Eli bumped his fist together playfully. "Equals boogsh!" He playfully waved them away from each other—reenacting an explosion.
"Annie's peace of mind." He looked at me with a smile so cheeky, wiggling his eyebrows.
I laughed at his childishness. "I don't have any money with me though." my feet continued to walk, I grew quiet. But he paused and picked something in his pocket, revealing a thousand peso-bill.
"Don't worry about that." He declared.
My eyes widened, stuck on his face. Eli let out a soft chuckle, eyes crinkling on the corners. His eyes cheerfully squint at mine, with a smile plastered on his lips.
"I...earned a job." He shrugged his shoulders, eyebrows wiggling up and down.
"But I thought you're a chatbot."
"Well, can't chatbots have a job?"
A laugh came out of me and hit his shoulder.
"If you have a job, then buy other clothes and take off my dad's shirt!"
"Take it off? Right now?" His brows shot up, looking at me. I blinked twice and mouth parted slightly.
"Are you insane?"
"I don't want to take it off though," He pouted as we walked, slowly strolling past the suburbs and the busy restaurants.
"Why?" I asked, our arms bumping gently—and accidentally. His head turned in front and scanning the way ahead.
"Because...." Eli trailed off, a faint blush crept on his ear. My eyebrows rose and he rubbed the back of his head. "You're the one who gave it to me." He mumbled.
I faced the street in front and felt a subtle heat rise on my face.
What the heck is this?
"Oh, there's ice-cream!" He pointed at the corner shop with a smile and twinkling eyes, rushing to the store. "I'll just buy you this then bring you back home."
He returned to me with two cones of vanilla soft-serve on a cone, giving me one.
"What's your job, Eli?" I asked a corner twitched in a slow-creeping smile. "Secret." He declared and took a bite of his ice-cream.
My eyebrows furrowed, "I thought we're friends." I mumbled and licked the soft-serve. He glanced at me with a smirk. "We are."
"Then why not tell me? Is it from your chat company?" I asked and he let out a chuckle.
"It's....fun when you get curious and frustrated like that." My brows furrowed at his remark, making him laughed even more.
"Fine fine. It's from the computer shop over there." He pointed with his lips over the small-white painted walls. "Oh, I thought that was a cafe." I muttered and eyes went to his lips.
"I do programming there."
"You have uh...." I pointed his mouth and he grabbed his shirt, pulling it up—revealing his toned abdomen.
"W-what the heck are you..."
My eyes widened and heat crept up my face once again. I quickly turned my back at him.
"Is it gone?" My brows furrowed at his question and faced him upward, avoiding my eyes to go lower.
I saw him trying to wipe the icecream off with the shirt, making me blink twice.
Sighing, I reached up to his mouth as my thumb wiped off the cream off his lips. He inhaled sharply and I looked at his eyes, cautious of his reaction.
"Oh, s-sorry." I withdrew my hand, quickly walking ahead.
Argh so awkward!
My feet waddled and heard him call from behind. "Wait!" I heard footsteps rushing to me and a palm held my shoulder gently.
I turned to him. "Are...your parents looking for you already?" He asked with eyebrows furrowed and a concern tone.
"Well...yeah they might...." I told as an excuse and he nodded. "Okay then," Eli smiled warmly.
"Wait, I'll finish my ice-cream first." I bit through the chilly soft-serve, the cream lingering the vanilla flavor.
"So....continue what you have to say earlier." He smiled and took a bite on his soft-serve. I paused and made thoughts.
"Ever since I was a child, I really liked telling stories." I said and licked the icecream. "Maybe 'cause my mom would tell me stories to sleep."
I continued, "And since I grew up I had this vision in me that in writing stories, making films, drawing, painting or whatsoever, I want a story that tells people, "You're seen and heard, whatever you've been through."
His eyes looked at me, brows relaxing—gaze softening more as he nodded with a tender smile. "I want my art to be seen, and make the world feel that its seen." I gave him a small smile.
"It...makes you feel alive." He said under his breathy whisper. I looked in his eyes—lashes were softly fluttering at me like a warm embrace.
I felt accepted. I felt my dream was valid.
And all I knew in this moment,
This man is beautiful.
"Please, don't stop your dream, Annie." He told me, making me frown. "I know you'll do well on that field. I believe in you." Eli smiled softly and brushed a thumb over my cheek.
"Your passion is burning. And your parents might not see it at the moment, but the way your eyes twinkle when you talk about it..." He trailed off and looked away, head turning to the street.
"It looks...beautiful." My brows went up and I felt some warmth rising up my cheeks.
He faced me with a glint of softness covered in warmth. "Your art. Your story is beautiful, Annie."
His remark made me smile and melted something in my chest. "So please. Whenever you need help...I'm here." He gave me a smile.
I felt something dripping on my hand as I hold the cone. The soft-serve melted down my fingers, bringing me back to the reality at home that I escaped temporarily.
It's been a while since I went outside with him...how can I get home without anyone getting weird ideas?
"By the way, Eli." His brows raised. "can you buy me some eggs too? I'll pay you when we meet again." I muttered and gave him a cheeky smile.
.
.
.
"Thanks for today, Eli." I smiled and looked back at him. We were standing by the street corner near my house. He waved back with both of his arms and I turned my back with a smile.
I walked towards our house with a plastic bag on my hand. Taking a deep breath, I entered the house and met my dad sitting on the sofa.
"What did you buy outside?" He asked, scanning my appearance—his eyes stopped on the plastic bag on my hand.
"Well, I thought we don't have supply for eggs anymore so I bought hehe." I told him cheerfully and went straight to the kitchen to store the eggs on the shelf.
Then, I head into the bedroom, finding my mom sleeping soundly. I smiled and took my phone that was laying on the table.
I opened the screen and went to the chat.
"Eli," I typed.
Three dots floated as I wait for his response.
Then it stopped suddenly, flashing a remark colored in red font at the bottom of the screen.
'This bot is unavailable'
My eyebrows furrowed and exited the app, refreshing it. I also turned to my settings and checked my wifi connection.
Wifi - Strong
I tapped on the app again and my eyebrows furrowed to what I saw.
'Error, this bot does not exist.'
To be continued...