19: weird devil

FAITH

This can't be happening.

The shattered glass, the chaos around, the big bouquet of flower, and that devilish grin?

No.

Please no.

"Are you that surprise, you can hardly move?" Orion asked as he got off the car god knows where he got from. Nilingon niya si Dean na gaya ko ay hindi makapaniwala sa mga nangyari. "Yow, assface. You can go now." He even made a gesture of hand na parang bang asong tinataboy si Dean.

Nagkagulo pa rin sa paligid dahil sa nangyari and people started gathering around us, at nakikiusyoso.

"O-orion, w-hat..." I can't even bring myself to say anything. I know Orion is crazy but to this extent?
This is crazy CRAZY! Naramdaman ko ang pagdami ng mga tao sa paligid and I started to wish that the floor would just open and devour me. "What is this? Nababaliw ka na ba?"

He looked annoyed at ibinaba ang kamay na may hawak ng bulaklak. "Nababaliw?" Sinamaan niya ng tingin si Dean bago ibinalik ang tingin sa akin. "Sure, let's go with that because how else should we describe this... this... basta! Just come and have a dinner date with me."

"HA?!" Sabay na tanong namin ni Dean.

Tila kinilig pa ang ibang tao sa paligid. But they didn't know Orion. Orion is... the devil himself. He doesn't do dates, I mean not with me. Araw-araw niyang iniinsulto ang hitsura ko. He despises everything around me and call me names that doesn't turn him on.

He faced Dean. "I'm not talking to you, assface so shut your dumb mouth and don't act fucking surprised." Bumaling siya sa akin at muling nagsalita. "Let's go, Angel?"

Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Nasa matinong pag-iisip ba siya? "Ano na naman bang pakulo 'to, Orion? What do you want?"

Hindi na siya nakasagot dahil may mga lumapit na pulis sa amin. "Maari ka ba naming makausap?" A police asked.

Orion looked pissed. "I'm busy right now, how about some other time?" sagot niya at bumaling sa akin. "Why are you having dinner with this assface? And is this a date?"

Muling nagsalita ang pulis. "Nanggulo ka rito sa restaurant. Kailangan ka naming—"

Orion's eyes became different as he faced the cop. "You're so annoying."

"Orion!" Saway ko at lumapit sa kanya bago pa man siya gumawa ng kung anong masama sa pulis. Those serpent eyes were scary, and I don't want him to cause any more trouble around here.

Hindi niya ako pinansin, and the cop was in total confusion as if his soul was sucked out of him. Mabilis na hinawakan ko ang mukha ni Orion. I made him face me bago pa man may mangyaring masama sa pulis. His eyes slowly turned to normal at napaupo naman sa sahig ang pulis, catching his breathe.

"Don't date this assface," sabi niya sa akin. More like a command than a request.

This time ay tila nakahuma na si Dean sa mga nangyari. "W-what are you?"

He made a devilish grin. "Guess what."

Bago pa man may gawin na kung anu-ano si Orion ay hinila ko na siya palayo. He let me pulled him ngunit lumapit sa amin ang isa sa staff ng restaurant. "Hindi kayo pwedeng umalis—"

Suddenly, everything felt like we were inside a bubble. Kahit ang mga nakiusyoso ay tila wala sa kanilang mga sarili. Orion looked around, as if finding something and in a second, something up the ceiling exploded. Those were the surveillance cameras na naka-install sa paligid.

"Let's go have dinner, Angel. I'm starving."

Scared of what he will do, I just nodded and followed him to the car and drove off the place.

***

Tahimik na pinakiramdaman ko si Orion. He was like a kid, enjoying his steak. Wala na ang bakas ng kung anong emosyon na meron siya kanina. No annoyance, no anger... wala. He's just simply happy.

I don't know how he booked the whole place. Ayaw ko na ring malaman, dahil malamang gaya iyon ng ginawa niya kanina. He must have used whatever power he has. He has no way of making me understand what power he holds anyway. As long as wala namang nasaktan kanina, I guess I can go with it, at least this time.

Napansin niya marahil ang pagkailang ko kaya nag-angat siya tingin. "What, don't you like the food here, Angel?"

I shook my head. He don't expect me to enjoy my meal after everything, right? "I think it's g-good."

"No, you don't," sagot niya. "You hardly touched your food. You look like you had a lot to ask." Ibinaba niya ang kutsara at pinunasan ang gilid ng kanyang bibig. "Shoot."

Is that a trick? Do I get honest answers instead of whatever nonsense he prepared beforehand? Whatever it is, I decided to try my luck.

"Hindi ko lang maintindigan kung bakit mo ginawa iyon," nakayukong sagot ko.

"The what?" He was trying to get something in between his teeth.

"Everything, causing havoc at the restaurant, asking me suddenly—"

I stopped nang itaas niya ang isang kamay. "I was confused with that too."

Mas lalo lamang akong naguluhan. "Are you really trying to ruin my life? Orion, please maawa ka sa akin—"

"Ruin? No, of course not! All I did was save you from that assface!"

"Stop calling him assface! Dean! Dean ang pangalan niya," I hissed.

"I'm not so good with names," he said with a pout, na tila ba batang nagtatampo. "Look, pwede ba let's forget about him. This is our date, do you really want to talk about that assface on our date?"

Naramdaman ko ang pamumula ng mukha. "This is not a date!"

"Yes it is!" He argued.

"May ideya ka ba kung ano ang date? We don't even like each other to have a date—"

"I like you," mabilis na sabi niya.

Bigla akong nabulunan. "H-ha?"

Orion looked straight at me. "Don't make me repeat what I said, Angel. I'd rather be tossed out of heaven again than repeat it."

He sounded upset. Upset because I made him say it or because he mentioned about getting tossed out again. Pero hindi pwedeng ganito. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin.

"Alam mo ba kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng sinasabi mo?" I slammed my hands on the table. "Don't say you like me when all you do was being mean to me. Baka ang ibig mong sabihin ay you like making my life miserable—"

He brushed his palm on his hair. "I know, I know. It means I like you. I know more than anyone dahil matagal na akong nabubuhay. You cannot beat the knowledge and experience of the old."

"You're not taking this seriously, are you? Orion, please lang stop playing with me. Stop making fun of me. Having you around is already too much kaya sana 'wag namang pati damdamin ko ay paglalaruan mo—"

He suddenly stood up from his seat and walked to my side. Napatingala ako nang sinundan siya ng tingin, then he suddenly pulled my waist up from my chair. Napakabilis ng mga pangyayari. There were another crashing sounds but this time, it came from our table.

Bigla na lamang niyang tinabig ang mga nasa mesa. It was so fast that I cannot follow what was happening. I realized I was already sitting on the table after he pulled me from the chair.

Mula sa pagkakahawak sa beywang ko ay lumipat ang mga kamay niya sa pisngi ko. He tipped my head up so I could face him, and suddenly our lips met.

Hindi ito ang unang beses na dumampi ang labi niya sa labi ko, but this time was different. He was gently moving his lips on mine, gently savoring it like a very delicious dessert. He nibbled on my lower lip, making me let out a small groan. He took that moment to slide his tongue inside my mouth. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa balikat niya, and if I were to be honest, I like the feeling of him kissing me.

Bumaba ang kamay niya sa beywang mula sa mga pisngi ko. He gently hold me like a fragile glass, not wanting to break.

It was weird kissing the devil, pero may kung anong sensasyon na dulot ang pagdikit ng mga labi namin. It was like a mixture of something heavenly and hellish, a combination I could not even imagine.

Hindi ko alam gaano katagal ang halik na iyon, until I realized I needed to breathe. Orion stopped moving his lips, ngunit nakadikit pa rin ang noo niya sa noo ko. And that's when I realized he was between my legs. My eyes widened but there was no way to pull away dahil nakaupo ako sa mesa.

Ngumiti siya sa akin. It was a geniune smile, enough to conclude that he was once an angel. Sa unang pagkakataon ay nasaksihan ko siyang ngumiti ng ganoon, so different from the Orion I always encountered.

"I hope that explains what my I like you means," sabi niya at niyakap ako nang mahigpit.

Marahil ay dulot ng halik o dahil sa sinabi niya ay tila nawala ako sa sarili. It was weird hearing him say it, but then nothing is normal about him, right?

"P-pero Orion—"

"I expect you to like me back because who could resist me? I mean, have you seen my face?" Kampanteng sabi niya na siyang dahilan kung balit natawa ako.

There, his vanity again.

Kumalas siya mula sa pagkakayakap at tiningnan ako. "Anong nakakatawa?"

"Your confidence is laughable."

He looked annoyed. "What, does that mean you really don't like me?"

I gently pushed him and hopped off the table. "Aaminin kong may attraksyon akong nararamdaman sa'yo, Orion and I really do like you. But it's not enough to let you kiss me like that as you pleased." Tinignan ko ang mga pagkain na natapon sa sahig. "Also, you made a mess."

"Fuck that mess, what do you mean that it's not enough—"

"Hindi ako pokpok, Orion. You can't just kiss me randomly as if my lips are readily available to cater your need!"

Napakunot ang noo niya, seriously stressed with what I just said. "Who said you were?"

Ang bilis naman niyang makalimot! "You called me a whore and other names countless times before!"

Nag-iwas siya ng tingin, halatang guilty. "I did? I don't remember."

"And I don't let just anyone kiss me," dagdag ko.

Hindi makapaniwalang napatingin siya sa akin. "J-just anyone?! Are you calling me just anyone?" Napatawa siya pero halata ang inis sa kanyang mukha. "I'm not just anyone! I am Lucifer, I am the ruler of hell—"

"You had a bad reputation."

He looked even pissed. "That's because that is what they want you to believe! Wait, is this you trying to reject me?"

Nagtagpo ang mga kilay ko. "Reject? Hindi ka nga nanliligaw—"

He crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll do it."

Namilog ang mga mata ko. "Do what?"

"Liligawan kita."

Napalunok ako ng ilang beses. "H-ha—"

"Don't say more because seeing your lips makes me want to kiss you again. And if I do, I'll be the bad guy again for kissing you without your consent."

Napalunok ako. A part of me wanted him to kiss me, ngunit may bahagi rin na ayaw. Matapos ng mga salitang binitiwan niya sa akin, after all the times he tried to kill me, now he's saying he likes me?

Weird. The devil is weird.

Everything about him is weird, but what do I expect? He is the devil and weird is the nicest thing I can use to describe him.

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