Page 26

The morning after our quiet, intimate night together in Vigan, the town greeted us with soft rays of sunlight filtering through the window, casting a golden hue over everything. The air was fresh, the world outside still, as if holding its breath for the moment we had just shared.

I woke up to the gentle warmth of JM beside me.

His arm was draped across my waist, his breath steady and calm.

For a while, I simply lay there, feeling the weight of everything that had happened, everything we had become.

There was a sense of peace that enveloped me—a peace that had eluded me for so long, now found in his presence.

I gently shifted, trying not to disturb him. The movement caused his eyes to flutter open, and when he saw me, a soft smile spread across his face. It was the kind of smile that made my heart skip a beat, the kind that made me feel like the most important person in the world.

“Morning,” he whispered, his voice husky from sleep.

“Morning,” I replied, my voice just as soft, almost in awe of the moment we were sharing.

For a few minutes, we just stayed there, wrapped in the comfort of each other’s presence. The world outside was still, but inside the room, it felt as though time had slowed, allowing us to savor the quiet intimacy between us. There were no words necessary; our eyes spoke volumes.

But then, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes, JM leaned in closer. “I never thought I’d wake up like this,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my forehead. “I never thought I’d feel this way again.”

I smiled, my heart full. “It feels like a dream, doesn’t it?”

He nodded, but there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn’t just talking about the moment. He was talking about us. About what we had built together.

“I’ve never felt more sure of anything in my life,” he said, his voice steady, his hand reaching out to gently tuck a lock of hair. “Junno, you make everything feel... right. You make me feel right.”

The words were simple, but they carried so much weight. In those few sentences, I heard everything I needed to know. His heart was open to me, just as mine was to him. And the connection between us, something that had started as a spark, was now a flame that neither of us wanted to extinguish.

“I feel the same way, JM,” I replied, my voice thick with emotion. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this. Like I can truly be myself. Like I’m not alone anymore.”

He smiled, his thumb gently brushing over the back of my hand as it rested on his chest. “You’re not alone anymore, Junno. I’ll always be here for you. Always.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in the depth of what we were saying. This wasn’t just infatuation or a passing fling. This was something real. Something deep. Something that was growing stronger with each passing day.

“I love you, JM,” I said, the words flowing out of me before I could stop them. It wasn’t something I had planned to say, but it was the truth. I realized then, in that quiet moment, that I had fallen for him—completely and utterly.

His eyes softened as he looked at me, and I saw something in them that made my heart swell. There was no hesitation, no doubt in his expression. Only certainty.

“I love you too, Junno,” he whispered, his hand gently cupping my cheek. “I’ve never said those words so freely before. But with you... it feels like the only thing that makes sense.”

I felt a surge of emotion at his words, my heart racing in my chest. The simple yet profound truth of what we had was overwhelming in the best possible way.

The room seemed to hold its breath as we shared that moment. Our love was new, but it felt like it had always been there, quietly building, waiting for the right moment to bloom. And now, here it was—our love, raw and real, blossoming in a way neither of us had expected.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the beautiful streets of Vigan together, hand in hand.

The town, with its Spanish-era architecture and cobblestone streets, seemed to echo the timelessness of what we were building.

Every glance we exchanged, every laugh we shared, felt like a promise that we were in this together, no matter what the future held.

As the evening approached, we found a quiet spot near the river, the setting sun casting a soft, golden glow over the water. We sat together, our shoulders touching, the silence between us comfortable and filled with meaning.

“I love how we can just be together like this,” JM said, his voice low and thoughtful. “No pretenses, no worries. Just us.”

I nodded, my head resting against his shoulder. “It feels like we’ve known each other forever.”

“We’re just getting started,” he said with a smile, kissing the top of my head. “And I’m looking forward to every moment of it.”

As the night settled in, the stars above us began to shine brightly, their light reflecting in the quiet river below. And in that moment, I felt a sense of peace, a certainty that no matter where life took us, we would always have each other.

“I love you, Junno,” JM whispered once more, his voice full of emotion.

“I love you too, JM,” I replied, the words carrying more weight than I could have ever imagined.

And as we sat there together, under the starry sky, I knew that our love had grown deeper than either of us had ever expected. This was only the beginning of our journey, and I couldn’t wait to see where it would take us.