Both boys were in Isaiah's room. Chad was tending Isaiah's busted lip, tapping the wound using a cotton with alcohol. Isaiah hissed in pain, and Chad muttered sorry. Chad suggested the idea because, apparently, alcohol fixed everything. Isaiah was looking at his beau as Chad took care of him, and Chad was aware of his boyfriend's stare. Chad couldn't focus at all to what he was doing, his fingers shaking a bit.

The door of Isaiah's room was locked so in any case things between might get intense, no one could barge in. They would have to knock.

Isaiah had already heard the reason why Dylan was so close to his boyfriend earlier. He admitted, he really acted on impulse and jealousy drove him up, but he somehow felt that action was justified. Or he wanted to believe it was justified. But at the end of the day, Dylan saved his boyfriend from having a concussion.

"There," Chad said as he looked at his work.

Isaiah's busted lip was still quite swollen, and Chad felt guilty because he knew he was the reason why Dylan and Isaiah fought. It's not like they were doing something naughty, or it wasn't like he's cheating, but Dylan just saved him. That's all.

The shorter boy met the eyes of his boyfriend, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Isaiah was holding his boyfriend's free hand and smiled at him.

They both packed their things already, and they were just waiting for Sarah's go signal so they could all go to the airport and board. Isaiah was really excited and looking forward to this trip. It was going to be his first out of country trip, and what made it even more exciting was, they were going to Chad's hometown.

Isaiah leaned in closer until their lips were almost touching, and he kept his eyes at his boyfriend's. Chad's lashes were long, and he found it beautiful as it complimented his small, brown eyes. The tip of their noses was touching, and it was enough to send Chad on fire. He wanted to kiss his boyfriend but was a little afraid that someone could barge in, even though the door was locked. He didn't want his mom or Bill to find out about this relationship – it was forbidden.

Well, he was overexaggerating. It was sort of forbidden because they were supposed to be step-brothers, but they liked each other. How could they follow that rule? Isaiah was really attractive and funny, although he could be a bit brute, but he was a smart guy. Chad liked almost everything about him except for the brute part.

The taller boy leaned down and finally pressed his mouth against Chad; he had been wanting to taste Chad since this morning, but they didn't have a spare time to do that. They were busy, and the fighting in the bathroom happened, so today wasn't really the dandiest, but Isaiah was glad whatever happened today, otherwise, his boyfriend wouldn't have taken care of him.

Chad immediately kissed him back, as if he was programmed to do so. Their kiss was needy but full of passion. Chad pressed himself closer, only the fabric of their clothes was the barrier between them. The room suddenly got quite hot, and their temperature was rising as each second passed by. Isaiah tugged on Chad's hair, making the smaller boy moan. Isaiah took that opportunity to slip his tongue in, and he tasted every corner of Chad's mouth. As for Chad, it was a different feeling to have someone's tongue inside his mouth, but he wasn't really complaining. He liked it.

Before things could take a different tour, Isaiah pulled away, which left the other boy groaning in annoyance. Isaiah chuckled, ruffling his beau's hair and Chad pouted like a kid. Isaiah snuck another kiss before standing up and unlocking the door. Bill suddenly entered the room.

"Are you guys ready?" Bill asked both boys, and they nodded. "All right. Get your things downstairs. We're leaving in a few. What happened on your cheek?"

"He became stupid. He fell down." Chad laughed as he lied. It was a cliché lie, but it worked every time, so why should he be concern? Isaiah glared at his boyfriend. "Can you believe it? It's a common rule to always looks where you're going."

"I agree with Chad," Bill nodded his head. "Put ice on it."

Once Bill left, Isaiah looked at his boyfriend who just gave him a peace sign. Isaiah wanted to punish his beau by peppering his face with kisses and some tickles, but it was quite risky to do that. Some other time, he thought to himself.

They went downstairs with their luggage. Sarah and Bill were already ready. They had rented two Uber to take them to the airport. Bill helped Sarah lift her stuff into the car, and Isaiah did the same thing for his boyfriend. Chad scowled, but there was a little tug in his heart. Isaiah was spoiling his boyfriend too much.

"I'm so excited," Sarah squealed as she looked at her son, who displayed the same excitement.

They climbed into their respective Uber car, and hit the road. Chad was already thinking what he would do first once they arrived in the Philippines. He wanted to smell the air, although Manila was polluted and overpopulated. Despite that fact, he grew up there and loved part of it, even its flaws. He was also excited to show his boyfriend around where he grew up. Chad wasn't sure if Isaiah would like it, but he was hoping so.

Isaiah held his boyfriend's hand throughout the whole ride and they managed not to be seen by the driver. Chad's palms were clammy, and he didn't know why. Perhaps the boy beside him always made him nervous and excited at the same time. Chad couldn't care less though. Isaiah's hand fit around his, as if they were meant to hold hands. Chad threw the idea out of his head that maybe they were meant to be.

As sappy as it sounded, Chad always believed in destiny. He grew up watching romance series on TV, and the series' theme was always about faith and destiny, and somehow, Chad was able to adapt that thinking. He asked himself if Isaiah was destined to be in his life and to be his favorite, but he didn't know the answer.

As they reached the airport, Chad untangled his hand from Isaiah's clasp and it quite hurt the other boy. Isaiah wanted to keep holding Chad's hand – there was contentment in it. Chad's hands were always warm, and though sometimes they were sweaty, Isaiah loved the feeling of it against his skin.

They climbed out of the car, and Sarah breathed in the fresh air. She couldn't really wait to get home; she missed home so much that she always called her family almost every day. It was the same for Chad.

"All right, we need to check-in now," Bill said as he took the luggage out of the car. Isaiah did the same thing. "Let's hurry up. Two people here are excited."

"Oh hush," Sarah said as she graciously touched her boyfriend's cheek.

---

They had to wait an hour before their plane finally arrived. There was a delay, and it quite pissed Chad off because he really wanted to be home as early as possible. When their plane arrived, Chad was ecstatic and Isaiah took photos of him without his boyfriend's knowledge.

Bill and Sarah were seated side by side, but there was a problem for Chad and Isaiah's seat. They were three seats apart. Chad was seated by the window seat, and Isaiah wanted to be close to his boyfriend.

While Chad was unaware, Isaiah talked to the lady beside his boyfriend. She looked like she was in her mid-30s; she was wearing a beige coat and sunglasses. There were a few wrinkles present on her face, and her lips were painted red. It was too red for his liking. It reminded Isaiah of one of the horror movies he saw when he was a kid; he couldn't remember the name, but he was terrified on it.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but could we switch seats?" Isaiah asked politely. He looked like he was ready to beg. The woman only raised a brow at him. "My brother is really afraid of heights, and he may have, you know, a panic attack while we're flying. Please?"

The lady looked at her for a moment before nodding her head.

Isaiah internally fist-pumped.

Chad was too busy watching the turbine that he didn't notice Isaiah taking a seat beside him. Chad had only ridden an airplane once, but it still amazed him to watch the turbines going around and round. He also loved the sound of rumble of the engine as the airplane took flight.

When Chad turned around, he was shocked to see his boyfriend sitting beside him. He narrowed his eyes at Isaiah and Isaiah just smiled widely at his boyfriend. Isaiah took out his blanket that he had specifically prepared for this moment. He draped it over him and his boyfriend, and Isaiah held Chad's hand underneath the cover. Isaiah grinned. Chad rolled his eyes, but loved his method.

"From 1 to 10, how excited are you?" Isaiah asked his boyfriend.

Chad leaned down, resting his head on the headrest as he watched the turbine. Chad smiled and responded. "More than 10, actually."

"That excited?" Isaiah chuckled, raising his brows.

Chad nodded his head like a kid, his black hair that had grown bouncing. "I miss my friends, and I miss eating street foods. I've been craving for some street foods. I went to the grocery to buy stuff, but I wasn't able to make them. I kept forgetting."

"Would you give me a tour?"

"Yeah, of course,"

"Just the two of us?" Isaiah asked suggestively. Chad looked at his boyfriend and blushed when he saw the look he was giving him. Date. He is referring to our second date, Chad thought. "Where are you taking me?"

"I doubt we'd have time to really wander around the city," Chad ponded for a moment before nodding his head. "I think Bill and mom have planned something, like a vacation somewhere in the Philippines."

"You think so?"

"Yeah,"

They fell into silence as the plane began to move. Isaiah squeezed his boyfriend's hand underneath the blanket they were sharing, and Chad squeezed back. Both boys were happy and contented as they held hands.

At some point, they fell asleep. When they woke up, they peed in the restroom before going back to sleep again. Since it was an 18-hour flight, including connecting flights, they had a lot of time to spare. When Chad woke up, he would look outside through the window and could see the vast ocean spreading as far as his eyes could reach.

Isaiah wasn't sure whether they were dropped off at Singapore; he didn't bother to check. He consumed two coffees, as well as Bill and Sarah. As for Chad, he drank too many chocolate drinks. Since Singapore was just 3 hours away from the Philippines, Chad didn't bother to sleep. He just watched the ocean while holding his boyfriend's hand. Isaiah only let go of Chad's hand when they had to be dropped off, or if they were going to the restroom to take a piss.

When they finally landed to the Philippines, Chad was bouncing up and down on his seat. They arrived at night, and he could see the glinting lights of NAIA as his eyes roamed around the establishment while seated. Isaiah folded the blanket he brought and was hesitant to let go of Chad's hand, but they had to or else they would have to explain to Sarah and Bill why they were holding hands.

"Ang aking bayan!" Chad shouted once he stepped foot onto the ground. "My country. I miss you!" Sarah laughed at her son's antics before they went inside to wait for their luggage.

"Okay, we're going to stay at a hotel first," Sarah said as she fixed her hair in a bun. She scratched the lid of her eye then yawned. "The family, except for your aunt, doesn't know we've already arrived. It'd be a big surprise once we walk into the party. Your lola is just expecting a video greeting from us, at least that's what your tita said."

"Where are we staying?"

"In Shangri-La in BGC,"

They used two taxis and went to Shangri-La. As they were on the road, Isaiah watched in awe as he looked around him. Philippines was really different. There was some traffic at a different part of the road, and Isaiah was glad the driver didn't take that road. He wanted to sleep in a comfortable bed with his Filipino boyfriend.

As for Chad, he was looking in excitement, his face literally pushed into the glass window as he watched outside with a huge smile on his face. Isaiah grabbed his boyfriend's hand again and snuck a kiss at the back of it without the driver noticing.

It took them half an hour to get to their destination. They climbed out of the taxi and grabbed their luggage. Bill checked in two rooms, and Isaiah was smiling all the way, realizing that he'd finally be alone with his beau. He had been waiting for an opportunity to kiss him, so as soon as they got into the room, Isaiah immediately attacked Chad's lips as he locked the door.

Isaiah straddled his boyfriend as he continued to kiss him with intensity and Chad let him. He had been waiting for this, too, so he let Isaiah do what he'd like to do to him. The taller boy put trail of kisses across his jaw until he reached the collarbone, then he began nibbling on it. Chad let out a stifled moan as he grabbed the sheets of the bed, biting his lip hard.

Chad slipped his hands inside Isaiah's shirt, feeling his abs and toned chest. Chad liked what he was touching, and Isaiah inhaled sharply as Chad ran his hands across Isaiah's stomach.

"Is it okay to say I missed this?" Isaiah asked as he chuckled.

"I missed this, too," Chad responded as he leaned forward, kissing his boyfriend one more time before letting his head fall down on the pillow. "I missed your kisses. Are you excited to meet my crazy family?"

"Of course,"

Isaiah slid to the side, then pulled his boyfriend to him, wrapping his arms around his waist. He planted a gentle kiss on Chad's temple before sighing in contentment, the boy he liked safely wrapped in his arms.

"We have to wake up at 7 in the morning,"

"Don't remind me," Isaiah groaned. "Good night, baby."

"Baby huh," Chad flicked his boyfriend's forehead and laughed when he scowled. "I like it when you call me baby. Makes me feel really special. You must have said that to your ex-girlfriend."

"Chad, shut up," Isaiah laughed. "You're my only baby."

"I better be."