Constant

My Queen Konstant,

I'm sorry I failed to keep my promise. I hope you're not disappointed in me. I've thought a lot about this. I'm going to stay away from you... until I'm able to be with you without causing any harm. It's the right thing to do. It's the only way I can protect you.

I love you and that will never change. But right now, I need time to fix myself. I know you need time to be with your mom too. When the time comes that we'll meet again, I hope I can be the better version of myself whom you're going to fall in love with again...

Always remember... my love for you is Konstant.

Your King,

Jalen

Ito ang huling mensahe sa akin ni Jalen.

We never found him since then... only his scent and this message was left for me.

Pero hindi ako galit... because I knew he would come back.

He was right about everything in his message. Maybe in the future, we would be ready enough to handle the challenges without thinking if we would be dragging each other down. Maybe then we would be brave enough to face all the demons trying to come our way.

I yawned and stretched my neck from side to side, greeting the bright ray of sunshine from the window panels. Taking the letter again, I read through Jalen's message for the nth time.

"And I'm yours forever, my king... Jalen." I mumbled to myself, tattooing it in my head and in my heart... constantly.

Years had passed since the last time I saw Jalen. Naka-graduate na rin ako ng Nursing at ngayon ay nag-aaral na ako ng Medicine. Hindi ko alam kung paano ako naka-survive na wala si Jalen sa tabi ko. But, I was grateful that I had friends who never left my side.

The void left in my heart was still huge. But, naniniwala akong babalik rin si Jalen sa akin... when he's finally healed on his own.

Huminga ako nang malalim bago ako nagtungo sa comfort room. After changing into my white uniform, I finally went to my OJT as a medicine student. Sa Fotheringham University Hospital lang din naman ito, which I was already familiar with.

"Beh, late ka na!" Narinig ko pa si Darren nang makarating ako sa tapat ng ospital. Dutymate ko lang siya noong Nursing students palang kami, pero ngayon, classmate ko na siya sa Medicine.

"Anong late? Maaga ka lang," sagot ko naman sa kanya. "Excited yan?"

"Siyempre, mahirap na at baka mapagalitan tayo. Halika na nga!" Hinila ni Darren ang kamay ko kaya pumasok na kami sa loob at naghintay sa lobby ng ospital.

Few moments later, dumating na rin ang clinical instructor namin. After debriefing session, pumunta na rin kami sa mga wards kung saan kami na-assign for this new semester. I didn't want to be assigned in the Pediatric Ward, pero doon pa talaga ako napunta. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko sa mga kids. I just hated seeing them sick. It was the worst feeling.

"Kayo ba ang mga Medicine students?" tanong ng isang nurse sa amin sa station.

"Yes po, ma'am," sagot namin.

"Magra-rounds na si doc. Hintayin niyo nalang."

We nodded as we waited for the doctor to come. I just busied myself reading a patient's chart para hindi sayang ang oras.

"Oh, ayan na si doc," rinig kong sabi ng isang nurse kaya binaba ko na ang chart at bumalik sa mga kasama ko.

"Morning everyone!" A very familiar voice perked up my ears, making me turn to the guy who just greeted us.

Clad in white coat, a tall guy with messy brown locks stood in front of the nurses' station. He was wearing a surgical mask over his nose and mouth, but I could clearly see his pair of ash gray eyes and that small scar underneath his left eye.

It was definitely him.

"Jalen..." I mumbled under my breath, and in that same moment, I noticed him glancing my way.

A moment of recognition hinted in his eyes as he held my gaze for a while.

"Doctor Atkinson, rounds na po ba?" A nurse suddenly asked him and he finally nodded, breaking his gaze from me.

Tahimik akong sumunod sa doktor kasama ng mga kapwa ko students. Hindi ako maka-concentrate sa mga nangyayari dahil sa nakikita ko ngayon. Ilang taon ko siyang hindi nakita tapos dito pa talaga sa ward bilang resident-in-charge.

"Koleen," tinapik ako ng isang classmate ko kaya napatingin ako sa kanya. "Tawag ka ni doc."

"H-Ha?" utal kong sabi habang hinahanap si Jalen. Nakita ko siyang sinesenyasan akong lumapit sa kanya sa tapat ng kama ng isang pasyente. Lumapit ako sa kanila habang nakatingin sa mga mata ng doktor. "Y-Yes, doc?"

"Can you tell me the case of this patient?" Jalen asked in a low voice, acting like a professor in front of everyone.

"Uh..." I stammered, looking at the kid laying down in bed sleeping so soundly with an oxygen mask over his nose. "This patient is-"

"Miss Fernandez, have presence of mind. We're dealing with life and death here," Jalen suddenly told me off, embarrassing me in front of my classmates even.

I took a breath, looking down. Hindi ako nag-sorry. Nakakainis lang na magpapakita siya sa akin ngayon tapos ipapahiya pa ako.

"I'll talk to your instructor later. See me in the consultation room after this. You clearly need some lessons," he suddenly mentioned, making me arch a brow at him.

Seryoso ba siya?

"Koleen, lagot ka."

"Okay ka lang?"

Hindi ko nalang pinansin ang mga classmates kong hindi ko alam kung worried ba sa akin o natutuwa kasi napahiya ako.

Matapos ang rounds ni "Doctor Atkinson," bumalik na kami sa nurses' station. Akala ko aalis na rin siya, pero bigla niya akong ipinaalam sa instructor namin na naka-tambay sa Pedia Ward sa oras na yon.

"I'll just give her a nice lesson about the patient's case," saad pa ni Jalen sa instructor namin na talagang pumayag naman sa utos nito.

Habang sinusundan ko si Jalen papunta sa consultation room na sinasabi niya, hinila ko ang suot niyang white coat kaya napatigil siya sa paglakad.

"Are you having fun scolding me?" I muttered under my breath.

Nakasuot pa rin siya ng mask kaya hindi ko makita ang ekspresiyon ng mukha niya, pero sa nakikita kong paniningkit ng mga mata niya, sigurado akong nakangisi siya ngayon.

"Ano? Babalik ka dito tapos gaganituhin mo lang ako? Wala man lang "Hello? How are you?" pagpapatuloy ko.

He suddenly let out a chuckle. "You're so cute." At nagpatuloy na ulit siya sa paglalakad.

Kinuyom ko ang aking mga kamay at pinigilan ang aking sariling huwag sumigaw dito sa hallway. Sinundan ko nalang siya hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang kwarto.

Narinig ko ang pagsara ng pintuan pati na rin ang pag-lock niya dito.

When I turned around, I was welcomed by the warmth of his whole body as he embraced me tight. "I missed you so much, my Konstant," he finally mumbled.

Biglang napawi ang galit ko sa kanya. "Kailan ka pa nakabalik? Bakit hindi mo man lang-"

His lips already crashed into mine, making me unable to speak. "I'm sorry," he mumbled in between kisses. The taste in his mouth was a familiar one... that strawberry lingering in my mouth was sweet and subtle and making me dizzy.

"Hmm..." I inhaled his manly scent, which brought all the memories I had of him from before.

"I'm sorry that I had to leave," he spoke again, his hands cupping my face. Now, I could see the whole of his face. Nothing much had changed. He was the same Jalen that I loved before and would love until the day I die.

Umiling ako sa kanya. "It's okay, Jalen. You don't have to be sorry."

"Do you still love me?" His question was full of uncertainty, as if I wasn't giving him enough assurance at this moment.

I tiptoed, planting a kiss on his warm lips again. "I never stopped loving you, Jalen."

A smile slowly crept up on his face as he claimed my lips once more. "Fuck, I missed you so much, my Konstant!" His hands slid under my scrub top and found my mounds. He didn't waste any time caressing and fondling them as he continued kissing me with his tongue exploring my mouth.

"J-Jalen, we can't do this here..." I told him, reminding him and myself that we were inside a doctor's office here in the hospital.

"Don't worry, I locked it," he assured me as his one hand went inside my pants. He rubbed my core over my underwear, making me tingly. "Didn't you miss this?"

"I..." I bit my lower lip, looking at him. "I did."

His lips curved up as his fingers continued to rub and massage my pearl. "I thought so. You're already wet down here, Konstant. What do you want to do?" He teased, as if he didn't know what to do.

I pressed my lips together, looking at him. I didn't want to give in because we were in a freaking hospital and we were both on duty.

"Come on, Konstant. Time is ticking. Soon, they will come searching for you," he mentioned, obviously teasing me.

I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. "Do it quick."

"That's my girl," he remarked as he pulled down his pants a bit, revealing his hard member. He rubbed his shaft on top of my womanhood, making me more tingly.

"Ahh, Jalen..." I was definitely turned on and ready for him to enter inside me.

He suddenly lifted me up, carrying me towards the small bed next to his desk. It suddenly felt like we were doing something wrong inside his office.

"Jalen, is it really okay to do it here?" I asked as he carefully lay my head down on the pillow.

"Just a quick one, right?" He stated as his member rubbed against my slick folds. Then, he finally inserted his thing, deep inside my core. Slowly, he moved on top of me while I was getting used to his fullness again.

It was something I had been deprived of for years, but it was definitely worth the wait.

"Let's get married, Konstant," he whispered to me as we both felt our release.

There are two parallels to every story.

This is how our story ended.

And this is how it begins...

🍭

A/N: END?

#constant