"You had fun?" Ulit kong tanong, I know I'm just doubling the pain I felt a little while when he answered that question. Aidan had fun, without me.

"Do you care, Paris?"

I watched as the whites in his eyes turned a pure black, and as his iris glowered teal. Symbols, lines and dots formed in the iris, placed in a sort of manner. Circular Gallifreyan, they told me. His lethal stare felt painful and piercing, as if his glare was tearing my heart apart with a blinding teal light.

"Do you care?" He asked again, now in a more dangerous manner. As if demanding for answer.

"Was that even a question, Aidan?" I inhaled deeply. "Of course I do, you are my husband."

"Am I really, Paris?" His face's still smoldering underneath his stony expression. "Am I really a husband to you?"

"As far I remember, I'm married to you, carrying your name, living under the same roof, warming the same bed-"

"Do we really?" Lumamlam ang timpla ng tinig nito, ngunit nanatiling mapanganib ang lingon sakin. My forehead knotted, not quite sure to be getting what he's saying. "Warming the bed, Paris?"

I turned my head to the side and averted my gaze somewhere just so I could avoid his eyes. I don't think that this is a good idea, hindi dapat ako nakipag-usap kay Aidan sa ganitong sitwasyon. We're on our room, he had some shots of alcohol, the bed was ready to be made, yeah this is bad.

I cleared my throat and stood up, inabot ko ang roba sa upuan atsaka iyon ibinalot saking sarili. I can't help but feel conscious, why Aidan is obviously watching me.

"I'm hungry." I said.

"But we're talking,"

Sinamaan ko ito ng tingin. "I'm serious, Aidan-"

"Who's joking?" Seryosong sabi nito. "You said we'll talk, then we will talk."

Lihim akong napaungol, I bit my lower lip and think quickly for a possible solution. "I haven't had my dinner.."

Oh, yes. I know I'm winning it. Aidan will always be Aidan, galit man siya o hindi, he's still my Aidan Zeus.

Nakita kong binalingan niya ang alarm clock na nasa ibabaw ng bedside table, I heard him silently muttered a curse. God, forgive me for my little white lie tonight, if I can just push my husband's ass out of this room I won't lie.

"I told you, I'm really hungry." Nilagpasan ko na ito at nagpatiuna ng lumabas ng silid.

I heard his footsteps behind me. I can't help but smile, hah!

I was about to go to the fridge when held my waist and guided me to the dining table. Ipinaghila niya ako ng silya at inalalayang maupo. Bago pa ako makapag-salita ay tinalikuran na ako nito, nalingunan ko itong tinungo ang ref upang tignan kung ano ang makakain roon.

Fuck. This is my consequence for lying, I now need to eat whatever food he'll give me. Mabuti't hindi gaanon marami ang kinain ko kanina kasabay si Ricos, my stomach still have a little space to accommodate food.

"What do you wanna eat?" Walang lingon nitong tanong.

"Anything edible"

Hindi na ito muli pang sumagot, nakita kong inilabas nito sa ref ang plastic container na pinaglagyan ng tirang ulam kanina. He placed it inside the microwave and turned to me, I know what he's gonna ask kaya hindi ko na iyon inantay pa at kaagad ng sinagot.

"I cooked that, pero wala akong gana so hindi ako kumain..." inirapan ko ito atsaka inilipat nalang kungsaan ang aking mga mata para hindi na ito mag-tanong pa.

Ilang sandali pa ay binalikan na ako nito sa hapag, malakas akong napasinghap nang makita ko kung gaano kadami ang laman ng plato. I turned to him unbelievably.

"Are to trying to kill me?" Umiling ako. "Hindi ko mauubos, masyadong marami."

He pulled the seat next to me and filled it, tahimik lamang nitong nilagyan ng ulam ang kanin sa plato.

"Aidan, hindi ko nga sabi mauubos yan. Ang dami dami-"

I froze when he spooned a portion and brought it in my mouth, he's looking at me with those expressionless eyes.

I was left with no choice but to open my mouth and eat it. Pinanuod ko itong muling kumuha, ang akala ko'y muli nito iyong isusubo sakin, but no. Kinain nito iyon, kaya naman nangunot ang aking noo.

"Hey, you went to a birthday party. Don't tell me, walang pagkain doon?" I raised him a brow.

Hindi parin ito nag-salita, muli siyang sumubo ng isa pa bago muling kumutsara ng para sakin.

I held his wrist. "Ako na, I can eat alone. Get another plate, let's separate-"

"Pati ba naman dito gusto mo paring mahiwalay sakin..." he said bitterly, he was about to put down his hand when I quickly ate the food on the spoon.

"Okay, we'll share!" I muttered.

Ngunit binitawan parin nito ang kubyertos, akmang tatayo pa ito nang hawakan ko ang braso nito.

Ginaya ko ang ginagawa nito kanina, I spooned a food and feed him. "So, who's Viel Ferrer?"

Nakita kong bahagya siyang nabigla sa ginawa ko ngunit hindi niya iyon ipinahalata. Kaswal na tinanggap nito ang pagkain.

"I googled her name, Aidan." Naliliit ang mga mata na ipinagpatuloy ko ang aking pagkain bago siya muling subuan. "I hate it. I've never googled unworthy people, yung Viel lang, who is she ba?"

"Why did you google her?" There's a hint of amusement in his voice, hindi ko iyon maaaring maipagkamali. Kahit pa mabilis ako nitong iniwasan ng tingin para punuan ng tubig ang basong nasa harapan.

"I'm not gonna answer your question, unless you answered mine." Muli akong kumain, through my peripheral vision, I saw him looking at me while drinking his water. "She's not pretty, her nose was surgically made, she got lips injection and I'm sure her boobs and butt were fake-"

"You jealous?"

"Yes- NO!" My hands froze in the air, eyes widened, I turned to him and shook my head. "Of course not!"

"You're not jealous?" Ulit nitong tanong.

Napasinghap ako nang abutin nito ang aking bewang upang hilahin papalapit rito, I swallowed an imaginary lump in my throat when I felt the bridge of his nose kissed the side of my cheek as he began to whisper.

"Really not jealous?"

"Okay!" Matigas kong sabi bago bahagya itong sikuhin upang sana'y dumistansya ngunit lalo lamang itong dumikit. "Fine, I'm jealous. A little. Sobrang little lang. Like half an inch! But that's normal, Aidan Zeus! Super normal! I'm your wife, you're my husband-"

"Ulit..." putol nito sa sinasabi ko.

Nang lingunin ko si Aidan ay nakita ko ang isang maliit na ngiti sakanyang labi, though his eyes were still void of anything. I frowned at him.

"You are my what? I am your what?"

"You're my husband, I am your wife..." tuluyan ko ng isinantabi ang pagkain atsaka ito hinarap. "So, sino nga siya?"

"Do you think I'm cheating on you?" Simpleng tanong lamang nito ngunit tanto kong napakalalim ng nakapaloob doon.

Marahan akong ngumiti. "There's a little part of me saying that I should be alarmed, I'm a woman, Aidan. Normal iyon. But then, a huge part of me believes in you. That you will never do that. Not to me, not to Ricos. You will never hurt us. And I'm holding onto it.."

Sa pamamagitan ng bahagyang liwanag ay nakita ko ang seryosong titig sakin ni Aidan, ininda ko iyon at tahimik na iginala ang aking mata sa kaniyang hantad na katawan, checking for some suspicious marks, but there's none that I could see.

Umusog ako papalapit sakanya upang samyuhin ang kaniyang leeg, he let me. I smiled when all I smell is his natural scent mix with some alcohol.

"Her family is a client and a family friend-"

"How special?" Akmang lalayo ako nang tuluyan na ako nitong ikulong sakanyang mga bisig. "You're picking her up everyday, after lunch. After our lunch!"

"She's suffering a sort of depression from her mother's death a couple of months ago, her dad asked us, kaming mga kaibigan niya, if we can at least keep her company. Ako ang malapit sakanya ngayon, kaya sinusubukan kong pakibagayan yung mga hihilingin niya kung kaya ko naman..."

Aidan is indeed the most selfless person. Ayaw ko man mag-isip ng hindi maganda ay hindi ko parin maiwasan, but selfless Aidan doesn't deserve my sewer mind.

"Paris, no matter what our situation is... I'm committed. I will never play a game that will make me lose you." Mahina nitong bulong, sobrang hina na halos hindi ko na marinig.

Through his voice, I can feel his pain. His frustration. Mahigpit kong niyakap si Aidan, I've never been this close to him for years and it feels home. I buried my face on his shoulder.

"Not all lies were intended to hurt someone, sometimes it was said to lessen complications-"

"It worsened everything after it got caught..." bulong parin nito.

Mariin kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata. Kaya kong mag-tiwala kay Aidan ng walang pag-dadalawang isip, isang bagay na alam kong hindi niya kayang gawin. Hindi ngayon, at hindi ko alam kung magagawa pa ba niya.

"The day you lied, I wasn't upset because you lied. I was upset that from then on, I can't force myself to believe you..."

I suddenly feel like I'm rowing away, as if there's a burning in my lungs as I desperately try to draw in enough air to sustain functionality. I'm tired, my muscles are giving out. That's how the pain that hits my heart feels like.

"Help me..."

Humiwalay ako sakanya kagat-kagat ang aking ibabang labi, pinisil ko ang kaniyang ilong at mahinang tumawa kahit pa ramdam ko na ang pangingilid ng mainit na likido saking mga mata.

"I want to believe you..."

"Don't force yourself. I understand, I did you wrong..." I cleared my throat and stood up, inabot nito ang aking kamay at mahigpit iyong hinawakan. "Ligpit ka na, matutulog ka pa. Maaga ka pa sa office bukas."

Dinala nito ang aking kamay sakanyang labi at marahan iyong halikan. Being okay is easier said than done, seeing Aidan even by just looking at him pains me. And I know, ganoon rin siya.

I bent down and gave his lips a peck. "Goodnight, Aidan..."

Hinayaan ako nitong humiwalay sakanya, muli ko siyang nilingon. He's looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"Lalaki si Wendell, pero hindi ko siya lalaki."