BORIS WAS NOT YET out of his mind. He was drunk, but could still think straight. Nung una pa lang, napapansin na niyang may kakaiba sa kilos ng lalaking ito. Masyadong malamya.

At ang boses...

He was losing a little of his body coordination due to the alcohol, kaya naman hindi masisi ni Boris ang sarili kung masyadong nalalapit ang mukha sa kausap. Mabuti na rin ang ganito kaysa sa gumewang-gewang siya.

"Yes," was his proud reply.

Hindi niya alam kung bakit sumilay ang ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. Huli na nang ma-rehistro sa kanyang isipan na ganoon ang naging reaksyon niya kasi sa tingin niya, ang tapang nito para amining bakla ito. Pero hindi ba pinapakita na nito sa mga kilos na bakla nga ito?

Pagak siyang natawa at nilayo ang mukha rito. He placed a hand on this man's shoulder, cocked his head to the side to give him a good look. This hotel staff was not really as handsome as the American guy he was flirting with earlier.

But he looked so cute and docile.

Very animated too.

"What's so funny?" gusot ng mukha nito.

He looked like a cute kid. Ilang taon na nga ba ito? No wonder he looked cute. He was probably years younger than him. Tinapik-tapik niya ito sa balikat.

"You're brave, huh?" kurot niya sa pisngi nito.

Umabot na ba sa utak niya ang alak? Why would he even freaking pinch his face?

"Is there something to be shy about being gay?"

Napailing-iling na lang si Boris. "You don't know what you're talking about," angat niya sa hawak na bote para uminom ng kaunti. Mabilis siyang lumunok bago tinuloy ang sasabihin, "It's not about being shy or what!"

He turned around and sat back on the sand. Pakiramdam ni Boris kasi bibigay na ang mga tuhod niya. Naramdaman niya ang napapantastikuhang titig ng lalaki kaya nilingon niya ito.

"Hey! Sit here!" tawag niya rito.

Nakita ni Boris ang pag-aalangan sa mukha nito kaya ngumiti siya.

He was not really fond of smiling. But years of working with an open-minded man like Sloven Markov taught him one of the most important things to consider to survive— adaptability. Hindi man kaugalian ng mga Ruso na tulad nila ang maging palangiti, kapag ganito na ibang lahi na ang nakakasalamuha, kailangan niyang ngumiti ng ngumiti hangga't maaari. He needed to look friendly and welcoming to disarm and charm the people he meet.

"Why?" kilos na nito.

"What's your name?" nood ni Boris sa paglatag ng lalaki sa tsinelas nito para iyon ang upuan.

"Albie," mahina nitong wika.

"Albie," he repeated to clarify if he heard him right.

Tumango-tango ito.

Pinanood niya ang bahagyang paggalaw ng hibla ng itim nitong buhok na may kahabaan. Albie looked too slender. He fitted the profile of a bishounen, one of the things he learned from being almost everywhere around the world. Albie was slender, carrying a dominant feminine appearance in spite of being recognizable as a male. He was not muscular. He was slender and youthful.

Cute, yes.

With round eyes and pouty lips.

"I have an advice for you," matiim niyang titig dito.

"What?" salubong nito sa tingin niya.

"Stop acting like a girl."

Tumaas ang isa nitong kilay. "You got a problem with gay people?" matabang nitong sagot kaya pagak siyang natawa rito.

"I have no problem!" he waved a hand, glanced at the dark ocean. "Be gay all you want! But!" Hinarap niya ulit ito. "But don't be too obvious about it!"

"Because?"

"It doesn't look right," aniya bago iniwas ang tingin mula rito. Uminom pa si Boris.

Hindi siya nito sinagot. Niyakap lang ni Albie ang mga binti at pinatong ang baba sa nakataas nitong mga tuhod.

"You look young," patuloy niya. "It's okay to make mistakes like that. That's why I am here. I will give you some good advice. Don't be showy. You're gay, that's good but don't exaggerate it. You are just embarrassing yourself."

"I am just being real?" protesta ang mababakas sa boses nito. "This is who I am."

"Yes, yes," tango niya. "But—" he spat, "don't just think about yourself. Think about the people around you, Albie. Do they like what they see? And do you like looking like what? A clown?"

"This is not making sense," napansin ni Boris na patayo na ito. "Who are you and why I should listen to you?"

"Trust me," mababa niyang tawa. "I know what I am talking about."

"You are just being discriminative, Sir," pagpag nito sa puwitan ng suot na shorts habang pinupulot ang inupuan nitong tsinelas.

"Fuck I am not!" he snapped.

"Bye, Sir," talikod na nito.

"Hey, you!" pihit ni Boris ng katawan para tanawin ito. "Get back!"

Hindi siya nilingon ni Albie.

"That guy, is going to ruin his life," iling-iling niya bago nagmamadaling tumayo para habulin ito.

Nahirapan siyang tumakbo dala ng kalasingan, pero dahil malalaki ang mga hakbang ni Boris, nahablot niya agad si Albie. Gulat na napasinghap ito at hinarap siya.

"I am not yet done with you."

"You are drunk, Sir," nakikiusap ang mga mata nito, gumuhit sa mga iyon ang takot para sa kanya. "Please, go back to your child in the hotel and get some sleep."

Nikolai... Everytime he would hear his son's name, Boris starts to feel so soft deep inside. Hindi niya alam kung bakit parang may bumara na ngayon sa lalamunan niya. Sinundan iyon ng pamamasa ng mga mata niya.

Kanina pa niya dine-deny na lasing siya, pero dahil sa pagiging unstable ng emosyon niya, malapit na niyang aminin sa sarili na lasing na nga talaga siya. Nahila niya si Albie paupo sa buhanginan.

"Ah, Nikolai, he is my life and joy," angat niya ng tingin nang umupo si Albie sa tapat niya. "I will do everything to protect him."

Titig lang ang sinagot ni Albie sa kanya.

"I am not drunk," hilig niya ng ulo. The man looked unconvinced, so Boris let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. "Alright, maybe, I am drunk. I am already drunk. I don't know!" Binalik niya ang tingin dito. "But don't be scared alright? I'm just a drunk and unarmed man. You have all the leverage, Albie. I can't walk straight right now."

Nagbaba ito ng tingin.

"I just need someone to talk to. I really think you'll understand me better than that egoistic Jacob," tukoy ni Boris sa kasama niyang lalaki kanina. Iyon din ang lalaking nagyaya sa kanya kaninang umaga na maglaro ng volleyball.

He found Jacob egoistic because at first meeting, he showed him nothing but sexual innuendos. Masyadong mabilis ang lalaki. Hindi man masarap sa pakiramdam na parang sex lang ang habol sa kanya ni Jacob, pero kailangang makisakay ni Boris sa pag-flirt nito kanina dahil kahit naman siya may mga pangangailangan din.

But now that he was drunk, he was realizing a lot of things. Like how dirty he felt upon looking back to his encounter with Jacob and seeing that he was just all about the sex. Napatitig si Boris sa bote ng alak. Palagay niya gusto na nitong madaliin ang sex nila, kaya nilalasing siya kanina.

And because Albie was gay, Boris figured that he would understand him better.

Hindi nga lang siya komportable sa ngayon na ipaalam dito na pareho lang sila.

Gays.

He released a sigh.

Nanatili namang tahimik si Albie.

Ang naririnig na lang ngayon ni Boris ay ang malakas na paghampas ng naglalakihang mga alon.

Right now, Boris felt like talking. He wanted to unload all the weighs on his shoulder.

Maybe, Albie would not mind listening to his story. Hindi naman siguro sila magkikita pa nito ulit kapag umalis na sila ni Olivia at Nikolai ng Zambales, o ng Pilipinas.

Short-term friends. Sa klase ng naging buhay ni Boris, sanay na siya sa ganoong klase ng mga kaibigan.

But of course, in every friendships, it should be always kick-started by getting to know each other. Naglahad ng kamay si Boris kaya napa-angat ng tingin sa kanya si Albie.

"I'm Boris," pakilala niya. "Molchalin is my surname. Just call me Boris."

Tinanggap nito ang kamay niya. "I'm Albie."

Mabilis niya ring pinakawalan iyon. "I'm sort of scared, Albie," kwento na niya. "I don't even know now how to relieve myself."

I thought Jacob would do, but he's too self-absorbed to consider my feelings.

"Why are you scared?"

Sinulyapan ito ni Boris. Kita niya na medyo napipilitan pa si Albie na makisakay sa trip niya, pero bahala na. Matiis sana siya nito hanggang sa magsawa siya sa kakadaldal.

"I'm scared for Nikolai," iling-iling niya, nakatutok ang mga mata sa buhangin, sa espasyong pumapagitan sa kanila ng kanyang kausap. "I'm scared of him having a father like me."

"You seem nice," malumanay nitong wika. "You see, Sir, when you realize your son is lost this morning, you did not waste any time. You quickly searched for him."

Napatitig siya rito. "That's the point. I lost track of Nikolai this morning. What if someone else got him? What if I am already too late?" At uminom siya ng kaunting alak.

"That won't happen," tipid nitong ngiti. "Because he is smart."

"Really?" mahina niyang tawa, pero may kalakip na pride para sa anak.

"Yes," medyo sumigla ang boses nito. "Your son. He... He, ano, he talked to me. He asked for my help to find you. And he's very smart because he knows how to make our search faster! He told me to go over here—" turo nito mula sa kinauupuan patungo sa likuran niya, "and he'll go and search there—" turo ni Albie sa direksyon sa likuran nito. "And he has this tablet, he showed me your picture, so I can find you for him."

Muli siyang natawa ng mahina.

"He's a smart kid," ngiti nito. "And I think he is smart because you took care of him, you teach him things, and it made him smart."

Tumaas ang sulok ng kanyang labi at tinitigan si Albie sa mga mata. He could see his face reflecting in Albie's eyes, looking drop-dead gorgeous in his sexy lopsided grin.    

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AN

One more chapter to goooooo... <3 <3 <3

Love,

ANAxoxo