The morning sun poured through the curtains, painting soft gold across the tiled floor.
Kate yawned and stretched, her body still sore from the emotional rollercoaster the night before. She sat up slowly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as the scent of warm pancakes and hash browns drifted in from the kitchen.
McDo again.
She smiled without meaning to.
Frooze was already at the small dining table, still in his hoodie, sipping from a paper cup of coffee as he poked at his sausage McMuffin. His hair was messily styled, like he didn't bother fixing it—yet somehow, he still looked unfairly good.
"Morning," he said with that easy voice of his, eyes lifting to meet hers. There was a warmth there that made her heart skip.
'Aba naman talaga oh, Mcdo na naman. My favorite fastfood pa talaga!'
"Morning," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "You always bring McDo when you're trying to win me over?"
He smirked. "It works, doesn't it?"
She rolled her eyes but grabbed her hash brown anyway and sat across from him, hiding the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Okay," she said between bites. "What's the plan today?"
He leaned back a bit, sipping his coffee, then fixed his gaze on her, more serious now.
"I need to go back to Manila today."
Kate blinked. "Oh." Her chest twinged with something she couldn't name.
"But only for a few days," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face. "I just need to finish some paperwork, settle some things… then I'll be back."
Her brows furrowed. "Why would you come back?" anong ibig sabihin nito?
He grinned then, slow and smug. Like he'd been waiting to drop a bomb.
"Because I'm staying here. In Pangasinan."
Kate froze mid-chew. "What?"
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I have an on-site job starting next week. Ongoing construction. At your school."
What the?
'Don't tell me…'
She immediately thought of that on going construction near her department.
Her jaw dropped. "Wait—WHAT? Sa department ko?"
He laughed, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Yup. The new annex building beside your nursing department. That one."
Kate buried her face in her hands. "No way. You're joking."
"Dead serious. Guess who's the assigned project engineer?"
"Oh my God…"
"And," he added, voice casual, "I already rented the house next to yours. One of those duplex units. Not too big, not too fancy, pero okay na. I've been meaning to surprise you about that… but yeah, I didn't expect everything to go down like it did."
Kate gawked. "Wait—seriously?"
Frooze chuckled, placing another hash brown on her plate. "Yup. That's the plan. I'll be a neighbor. You'll be seeing more of me. Lucky you."
Kate stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You're insane. Absolutely insane."
"And you like it," he teased.
"Frooze…" she began, eyes narrowing. "This is too much."
"Too late," he shrugged. "It's already happening."
She buried her face in her hands again, groaning.
Then his voice softened. "Before I head back to Manila," he said, reaching out to poke her arm gently, "I wanna take you on a date."
Kate's head snapped up. "What?"
"A date," he repeated, his gaze tender. "Yung proper one. Not a bar. Not a hotel. Just you, me, food I pay for, and no responsibilities for a few hours."
She stared at him, unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry. "You're joking."
"Nope."
"Frooze, I'm not… I'm not used to that." Bigla niyang naalala yung mga efforts na ginawa niya with his each. The dates na laging siya ang gumagastos, maski ang pamasahe ay sa kaniya. And in return, siya ang naubos. Even her parents were disappointed at her.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confusion creasing his brows.
She swallowed. "Every time I went on a 'date' with my ex, I was the one paying. I was basically the sugar mommy. This feels… weird. You know? If ililibre moa ko?/"
He stared at her for a moment, then reached across the table, fingers brushing hers.
"Well," Frooze said, his tone suddenly soft but grounded, "you're not with your ex now. You're with me. And I'm not letting you pay a damn peso."
Kate looked away, cheeks turning red. "Still, it's awkward. I don't want to be a burden."
"Kate, baby" he said firmly, lacing his fingers with hers. "It's not about the money. It's about the time. I want to do this. I want to see you smile. Let me take you out."
She hesitated, looking down at their hands.
"Ehhhh…"
"Come on," he coaxed. "Don't think too much. Just say yes. I promise, no pressure. Just you and me… and maybe fries."
She laughed despite herself, heart fluttering. Maybe kahinaan niya talaga ang fries?
Minutes passed with her mumbling excuses, him countering each one with a grin and a ridiculous reason.
Until finally, she sighed, cheeks flushed. "Fine. One date. Your treat." Wala rin naman siyang gagawin since Saturday ngayon. Wala rin naman siyang papers na kailangan tapusin. Marami siyang free time doday.
He grinned like a kid who just won the lottery. "Now you're talking."
Kate shook her head, trying to hide her growing smile—but failing miserably.
---
It was a regular afternoon. Nothing too flashy. No candlelit rooftop, no reservations in some five-star place. Just a mall date—normal and ordinary.
But for Kate, it was everything.
Kate couldn't believe this was happening.
She was on a date.
A real one.
With a guy who wasn't making her split the bill or feel like she owed him anything. A guy who made her laugh with the stupidest jokes and could look at her like she was something he'd been waiting for.
It was… overwhelming. In the best way.
They decided to keep it simple.
Kate brought Frooze to the nearby mall, he drove them there—the one she always passed by but never really appreciated.
"Gusto mo dito?" Frooze asked as they parked.
Kate nodded. "It's the closest mall, kapag kasi doon sa isa is malayo na, nakakatamad kaya. Simple lang here. Masarap ang popcorn sa sinehan dito."
He smiled. "Sold. Popcorn is life."
They strolled inside, side by side but not holding hands—not yet. Still, their elbows would brush occasionally, and every time it did, Kate felt her breath hitch.
"Rom-com?" he asked at the ticket counter.
She blinked. "What?"
"The movie. Romantic comedy. You okay with that?"
She nodded shyly. "Yeah. That works."
He bought the tickets before she could protest, and as promised, he paid for everything—popcorn, drinks, even a pack of gummies she didn't even ask for.
"Told you. My treat, remember?" he said, handing her the gummies.
"Okay, pero stop spoiling me," she murmured.
"Never."
Inside the dim theater, they found their seats in the middle row. The place wasn't packed—just a few couples scattered around, whispering or scrolling on their phones.
Kate curled into her seat, hugging the warm tub of popcorn as she nibbled on the edges.
Frooze sat beside her, relaxed, watching the pre-movie trailers play on the screen.
Kate was just starting to enjoy the buttery taste when a familiar figure passed by the aisle.
Her heart stopped.
Riz.
And not just Riz—but Riz and her boyfriend.
Kate choked on a kernel, eyes widening. Riz blinked, stopping mid-step as their gazes met.
Riz's jaw dropped before morphing into a smirk of disbelief.
Kate gave her an awkward smile and a wave.
The look on her friend's face said everything. Riz's eyes narrowed playfully as she gave Kate the ultimate "You-have-some-explaining-to-do-later" look.
Kate's entire face turned red.
Kate could only give her a sheepish nod, mouthing a silent, awkward, "Later."
Riz's brows rose so high they nearly touched her hairline. Then she smirked and continued walking, her boyfriend pulling her toward their seats. Kate groaned internally.
"She's going to kill me later," she muttered.
"Hmm?" Frooze glanced at her but didn't seem to notice what had happened. "You said something?"
"Wala. Popcorn lang," she said quickly, shoving another handful into her mouth.
The theater dimmed more as the movie finally started. Lights faded, the screen lit up, and the opening credits rolled.
Then she felt it.
A warm arm gently wrapped around her shoulders.
Kate froze.
He did it so casually—like it was the most natural thing in the world. His arm, snug and warm, rested over her like it belonged there. His fingers brushed her upper arm softly, thumb idly stroking.
She turned her head slightly, only to find his eyes already on the screen, as if nothing had happened.
But she couldn't breathe properly.
His cologne—warm, musky, faintly citrus—wrapped around her senses. It was addicting. Like comfort and temptation bottled into one.
"Baby, okay ka lang?" he whispered, voice deep and close to her ear.
Kate nodded quickly. "M-mmm." Damn it!
Yan na naman yung baby word nito.
"You're stiff. Relax ka lang," he chuckled, his breath warm against her cheek.
"Easy for you to say," she mumbled, trying to keep her heart from exploding. "Ikaw kaya may braso sa balikat mo."
He smirked. "Gusto mo alisin ko?"
She panicked. "Huwag."
Agad siyang nahiya.
That sounded so freakin wrong! Para naman siyang nagging defensive.
What the fuck?
He laughed softly, pleased. "Ayan. Ayaw pala eh."
She playfully elbowed him, but he caught her hand and laced his fingers with hers under the blanket of darkness.
And just like that, the movie became background noise.
Because sitting there—with his hand in hers, his warmth on her skin, and her heart fluttering like it was trying to fly away—Kate realized something.
She was already in too deep.
And she didn't want to come up for air.