Habang nakahiga na sila sa kama, pareho pa rin silang gising. Nagtatalo pa rin ang kanilang mga isip. Si Riela, hindi mapigilang balikan ang sandaling iyon. Hindi na ito biro, hindi na ito simpleng palabas para sa iba. Sa kaibuturan niya, alam niyang mababaliw na siya para kay Ennui, isang damdaming matagal na niyang tinatago at gusto na niyang pakawalan.

Si Ennui naman, hindi na makapagsinungaling sa sarili niya. Hindi lang siya tagahanga ni Riela ngayon; mahalaga ito sa kanya sa paraang hindi niya inakalang titindi pa at hindi na nga ito ilusyon. Hindi na gaya dati na "He's only admiring her from afar."

"Who wrote a fanfic of Riela? Na ako ang leading man? Because it was perfectly written," gagad niya sa isip.

Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, nanatili pa rin silang tahimik, hindi pa handang pag-usapan ang nangyari o kung ano ang ibig sabihin nito para sa kanilang dalawa.

The night was thick with unspoken words and lingering tension. It wasn't the kind of silence that felt comfortable—it was heavy, filled with the emotions they were both trying so hard to deny. The clock on the nightstand ticked loudly, the only sound filling the quiet room aside from the soft hum of the air conditioner.

Riela lay on her side of the bed, her back to Ennui, staring at the dark ceiling. Her mind kept replaying that kiss—how his lips felt on hers, how her heart raced that made her lose her breath. She had tried to convince herself that it was nothing more than a confusion in their facade, but deep down, she knew it was something more. Hindi na ito gaya dati na acting lang, with her former leading men.

She closed her eyes and let out a quiet breath while trying to push the thoughts that completely overtook her. But then, she felt it—Ennui's presence beside her. It wasn't just physical; it was something more. Kahit mag-deny pa sila, masyado nang obvious.

"Riela..." Ennui's voice broke the stillness. His voice was low, hesitant, but filled with an underlying intensity. "Are you okay?"

Riela had no idea how to respond. Was she okay? Physically, she was fine, but emotionally—she wasn't so sure anymore. Hindi na niya kaya ang ganitong intense emotion. Deep within her, gusto niyang tuluyan na may maganap sa gabing ito at higit na dapat sa halik.

"I'm fine," she replied softly, keeping her eyes closed. "Just... thinking."

"About what?" Ennui's tone was now closer, almost like he was inching toward her, and she could feel the warmth of his body. She could hear the subtle edge in his voice—something that was almost vulnerable. May himig din ito ng paghahanap ng mga bagay na hindi nito matukoy.

"About us," she admitted quietly. It felt strange to say it out loud, but the words tumbled out before she could stop herself. Kahit wala pang nagaganap, she's already losing herself.

There was a brief silence. Riela could feel Ennui's breath, steady and deliberate, but close enough to her skin that it made her shiver involuntarily. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang pumasok sa isip niya, pero bigla na lamang niyang gustong lumingon at harapin ito. Hindi niya maipaliwanag, ngunit ang pangangailangang mapalapit pa rito ay hindi na niya kayang itanggi.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore," she whispered, though it wasn't clear what she meant by it. It could have been the situation, the lies they were telling the world. Basta ang mahalaga, may pag-amin na sa kanyang pangangailangan.

So, Ennui shifted beside her, his fingers brushing the edge of her arm, making her breath more intense. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely audible now. "Anong gusto mong mangyari, Riela? Do you want me to..."

Her mind was clouded with too many thoughts, and all she could focus on was the undeniable warmth of his body next to hers. Without thinking, she shifted slightly to face him, and then, just like that, their eyes met, and they slowly kissed passionately. For the first time, the distance between them wasn't just physical—it was emotional too.

Then, without any more words, Ennui moved. His hand, slow and careful, cupped her face. Riela's breath hitched in her throat, and before she could think, his lips were on hers again, more urgently this time, a slow, deliberate kiss that spoke volumes without saying anything at all. She kissed him back—tentatively at first, but then with a depth that took her by surprise.

Iba ito ngayon. Hindi na lamang isang pagpapanggap. Ramdam niya ang totoo at mas malalim na koneksyon kaysa sa anumang napagdaanan nila noon. Ginawa nilang gibain ang pader na nakaharang sa kanilang damdamin at hinayaan ang kanilang mga sarili na mawala sa sandaling iyon.

The kiss deepened, and this time, it wasn't just a kiss. Ennui's hands moved from her face, slowly exploring everything where it could land then down to her waist, just to pull her closer. While doing that, Riela's own hands found their way to his broad shoulders, where she could cling on.

Napaigtad siya nang maramdaman niyang bumagsak ang robe niya sa sahig. She's naive when it comes to this matter. Yes, she used to kiss different guys—her former boyfriends and on-screen partners—but the way Ennui made her feel hits her on another level. She never had this kind of intimacy with any other man. Ennui is the only guy with whom she had shared a bed. Parang nagiging mapaghanap pa siya kung tuluyan siyang magpapatangay sa kanilang kapusukan.

Riela felt his hands move lower, gentle but insistent, and her breath caught as a rush of warmth spread through her. She wanted to stop, to pull away, to remind herself that this was just a game they were playing for the world. But the need to be close to him, to feel him like this—overpowered every ounce of rationality she had left. Kailangan niya ng paninindigan at pagpapakatotoo.

Ennui paused for a moment while his forehead rested against hers. "Are you sure? Because if not, I'm going to sleep outside. I don't want to make you think that what we're about to do was a result of compulsion."

His voice strained with emotion, but the way he looked at her, as if searching for her approval, told her everything she needed to know. He wasn't sure either.

Riela closed her eyes, her breath coming faster. Hindi niya pa kayang magsabi ng simpleng "yes," but it was evident she approves everything. She couldn't voice all the thoughts swirling inside her head, but in that moment, the only thing that mattered was the way his closeness felt on her skin, the way his lips tasted on hers. Moreover, the way his hands searched every part of her.

Ennui waited for almost a minute. He didn't feel the need to rush her. Obviously, kinakabahan si Riela at ayaw niya itong biglain.

"Don't stop," she whispered, and in that simple plea, everything changed.

"Riela," Ennui murmured against her lips, his voice breaking slightly. "I can't keep pretending."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to meet his eyes.

"Then don't," she whispered with a trembling voice. Her fingers lightly traced the line of his jaw, memorizing every detail of it as if she needed to be sure this was real. "Let's stop pretending. Matagal na akong sigurado, Ennui. I just didn't know how to tell you. Or if I even could. Pero ngayon, binigyan mo na ako ng pagkakataon."

A faint smile curved his lips, one that spoke of relief and a joy he'd been hiding for a long time. "Neither did I," he admitted. "But now... I don't think I can hold it back anymore."

"How do we name this one, Ennui? It's vulgar to label it like casual sex," Riela teased with a playful grin.

"We're married now. Let's call it—love," maikling tugon ni Ennui, before he continued where he left off.

Nagtagpo muli ang kanilang mga labi, sa pagkakataong ito ay may kasamang matinding pananabik. Parang tumigil ang mundo. Tila nawala lahat—ang cameras, nilagdaan nilang kontrata, at mga usisero nilang pamilya. Hindi na sila ang dalawang taon na napilitang magkunwari sa isang kasal. They were just two souls who had found something undeniable in each other, something right and real.