Kate, now comfortably dressed in a thick cotton shirt and her favorite pair of loose jersey shorts, padded barefoot across her small apartment. Despite the AC humming in the background, she still refused to wear a bra. It was a principle. Her boobs had suffered enough. Saka mainit talagaaaa.
She settled onto the couch, laptop balanced on her lap as she flipped through her digital and hard copy notes. Finals were inching closer, and no amount of caffeine or motivational TikToks could erase the pressure crawling up her spine. Kailangan niya magbatak ngayong finals kasi alam niyang ang baba nung performance niya nung midtrems.
She peeked to her right.
There was Frooze.
Also in his own chill clothes: a simple shirt and athletic shorts, laptop open, spreadsheets and site reports glowing on his screen. The light from the laptop reflected off his face, highlighting the furrow in his brows and the subtle pout he always denied having.
Focus na focus.
They hadn't spoken much since settling on the couch. It was one of those quiet-but-comfortable silences. The kind that made Kate realize they'd somehow built a rhythm—even if undefined.
Okay na to.
Dinner had been ordered half an hour ago sa food panda app. The knock on the door could come any minute now, but she was too distracted by a random thought that had popped into her head.
Kate shifted her weight on the couch, pushing her laptop slightly to the side. Her notes were starting to blur together, and she needed a break from memorizing medical terms that sounded more like spells than treatments.
"Froozie?" she called casually, brushing a few strands of hair off her forehead.
He hummed in acknowledgment, not looking up, fingers still dancing across his keyboard.
She narrowed her eyes at his side profile. "Bat ka pala dito tumatambay? You rented your own place pero dito ka nag-stay ngayon?" Her tone was light, but genuinely curious.
That made him pause.
Frooze lifted his gaze and met hers, his expression unreadable for a beat before a smirk tugged at his lips. "Staying there feels lonely," he said with a short chuckle, then shrugged as if the confession wasn't a big deal. "I just rented that place so I have somewhere to keep my work stuff. Printer, blueprints, site gear… but dito sa place mo talaga balak ko mag-stay."
Kate's brows shot up. "Aba talaga naman oh," she muttered, feigning offense. "So titira ka nalang dito ng libre? Do you even realize na parents ko ang nagbabayad ng rent ko rito? At FYI, may spy ang mom ko dito sa neighborhood."
That got his full attention.
He tilted his head, amused. "Spy?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Yung kapitbahay naming babae na mahilig sa tsismis? That's her. The house right next to mine? That's the neighborhood CCTV in flesh. Kapag nalaman niyang may lalaking tumatambay dito, nako. My mom will fly to Pangasinan just to throw me back to Manila. By the hair." she grimaced at the face her mother that passed through her mind.
Frooze leaned back on the couch, stretching his arms with a grin playing at the edge of his lips. "Ohhh… that noisy lady next door?"
"Yes. That noisy lady," she groaned dramatically.
He looked at her directly and raised a brow. "Do you really think I'd put you in trouble like that?"
Kate blinked. "Huh?"
He leaned forward again, voice low, confident. "I've already handled her."
Kate sat upright, suspicious. "Wait—what do you mean 'handled'?"
Frooze shrugged like it was no big deal. "Aanhin ko pa ang pera ko kung hindi ko gagamitin? Tinaasan ko lang yung binibigay ng mom mo. I paid her. In advance. Every month."
Kate's jaw dropped. "A-ano?!"
He looked dead serious, calm as a monk as he resumed typing on his laptop. "Oo. Do I look like I'm joking?"
Kate stared at him, mouth hanging open. "OIIIIII! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
Frooze gave her a side glance. "Mmm-hmm. Problem solved."
Kate was speechless.
Tangina. Totoo nga. She momentarily forgot that the man casually lounging beside her was a licensed engineer with a stable income. Bribing a neighborhood tsismosa probably cost less than what he spent on coffee every week.
Tapos siya? Student parin! Palamunin ng kaniyang ina.
Still, the audacity.
"Sayang ang pera! You didn't have to do that! Pwede naman tayo magkita sa labas, hindi mo kailangang mag-bribe ng tao just so you can chill here." Her tone was part-scolding, part-disbelieving.
He looked up again, this time with a slightly amused, almost cocky smile.
"Tingin mo I would settle for that? Iyong makakausap ka lang sa labas when I can just come to you? Iba ako sa ex mo, kaya kitang gastosan." he said simply, the words sinking deep, slow, sure. "Masanay ka na. I'll make sure you know what it feels like to be treated like a princess."
Kate was stunned.
Her mouth opened, then closed again like her brain blue-screened.
Slowly turning her attention to her laptop. Kate's fingers stilled on her keyboard.
Blush crept into her cheeks. Her heart stuttered. Her stomach felt like it was holding a party she didn't get an invitation to.
'What the fuck was that?' she thought.
Before she could think of a response, her phone buzzed.
Caller ID: FoodPanda.
She practically shot up from the couch. "Ay food na! Wait lang, kuha ko."
She ran to the door, clutching her chest to cool the thundering heartbeat within.
Frooze just smirked behind her, clicking away on his laptop like he hadn't just turned her entire world upside down again.
---
When the food arrived, Kate immediately brought everything into the kitchen. The scent of tender beef broth and stir-fried meat filled the air, wrapping the small apartment in warmth.
"Finally, something other than fries and chicken nuggets," she murmured to herself, unpacking the brown paper bags.
She plated the dishes quickly. Bulalo in a deep ceramic bowl, steam curling upward in fragrant swirls. The pigar pigar—thin slices of beef fried with cabbage, onions, and soy sauce—was sizzling on a flat pan. She added some rice and transferred everything to the dining table, wiping her hands on her shorts.
"Froozie! Kain na!" she called.
Seconds later, he emerged from the living room, stretching as he entered the kitchen. His hair was slightly disheveled, brows still furrowed in concentration from his earlier work.
He took a seat across from her, eyes immediately scanning the table with a curious expression.
"Bulalo," he said with a nod. "Nice. But... what's this?" He gestured to the stir-fried beef, cocking his head slightly.
Kate smiled, proud. "Pigar pigar. It's a local dish here in Pangasinan. Beef strips, a little soy sauce, cabbage, onions. Super sarap pag mainit."
Frooze raised a brow, intrigued. "Pigar pigar? Sounds like a Pokémon."
Kate rolled her eyes, already laughing. "Bobo ka talaga. Tikman mo muna bago ka mandisrespect." She sat down across from him.
"Ang lutong naman ng mura mo, baby," he teased with a chuckle, picking up his spoon.
He took a bite, chewed thoughtfully—and then his eyes widened.
"Damn. Okay, I stand corrected. This is good. Really good."
"Told you," Kate said with a triumphant grin, leaning back with satisfaction.
They continued eating, the soft clinking of utensils filling the space with a kind of domestic comfort. Every so often, they'd exchange a glance and a smile. There was something effortlessly intimate about the moment.
"You cooked this yourself, the pigar pigar? Oh kasama nung bulalo? I thought you were just gunna order bulalo." Frooze asked mid-bite.
Kate shook her head. "Galing sa favorite restaurant ko. Wala na ako time magluto eh. Finals week, hello?"
"Still," he said, his voice softer now. "This feels like... home."
Kate froze for a second.
She looked at him across the table—his shirt messed up, one hand casually resting on the table while the other held his spoon. His face looked relaxed for once, softened by the warm light of the kitchen. He looked... happy.
And that realization hit her like a wave.
They looked like a married couple. Like this was their normal.
If they kept this up for a few more weeks, she was bound to become even more delulu than she already was.
Because they weren't official. They weren't committed. They weren't even sure.
Slowburn. Undefined. But... warm.
Masama 'to. Dapat hindi ganito. Ang aga pa para umasa na may papatunguhan itong situation nila ni Frooze.
Kate just shook her head and went back to eating, trying not to dwell on it too much.
After dinner, they cleaned up together, laughing as Frooze almost dropped the soup bowl.
"Ayan ka na naman! Ano baaaa. Sa mom ko yan! Kapag nabasag yan ay patayin pa ako nun!" she scolded, trying to hold in a laugh.
He grinned and ruffled her hair.
Kate swatted at his arm. "Ano ba? Ang hirap hirap mag-suklay ng buhok ah!"
"Ang cute mo talaga baby," he whispered, voice low and teasing, eyes glinting with amusement.
Later that night, after they had both showered separately, they settled into bed. The lights were dim, and the room smelled faintly of shampoo and fabric softener.
Kate nestled against his chest, her fingers gently tracing circles on the fabric of his shirt.
Their legs were tangled beneath the blanket, the weight of the day slowly melting away in the warmth of their shared quiet.
"You smell like beef," she jokingly murmured sleepily.
He chuckled, voice deep and husky. "You smell like rice."
She cracked an eye open. "That doesn't even make sense."
"Neither do you," he shot back with a soft smirk.
She slapped his chest lightly, half amused, half embarrassed.
Laughing, "Alam kong physical tough ang isa sa mga love language mo baby pero hindi ko naman ineexpect na ganitong physical touch yun. Ang sakit mo pala magmahal." He caught her hand and intertwined their fingers. "Thanks for dinner, baby," he whispered, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.
Kate closed her eyes, breathing in his scent—earthy, clean, him. Her heart squeezed.
She felt him press a soft kiss to her forehead. It lingered.
"Goodnight, Froozie."
"Goodnight, baby."
As she drifted off, cocooned in his arms, she thought to herself—maybe... even without the label, this felt like love.
Even if it scared her. Even if it wasn't official. It felt real. And for now... that was enough.