My Love, Darkness

Chapter 31

TITUS teleported and brought his self to the Nephilim's house, where he found Larid fuming mad again, cleaning at the kitchen.

"Poshel ty, Kellan! Chertovski glupo!"

"You're messing with our Russian friend again?" natatawang sabi ni Titus nang makita si Kellan.

Prenteng nakahiga ito sa couch na nasa living room habang may hawak na remote control sa kamay nito at pop corn na nakapatong sa dibdib nito.

Kellan saw him and smirked. "Never gets tired," ani Kellam bago bumangon at inilapag popcorn sa glass table.

"So how's Phoebe? Did anything happen again?" tanong nito sa kaniya na sinagot niya ng iling.

Phoebe was fine, that's what he saw before leaving the mansion. "Nah. She's good."

Kellan looks at him curiously. "Really?"

He nodded as he wore off his fedora and place his foot on the table. Leaning back on the comfy couch Larid has.

"Yeah. She got herself into a fight--"

Kellan abruptly moved and looked at him with wide eyes. "What?! Did something happen to her?"

Stupid. Napahilamos siya sa mukha bago sinagot ang tanong nito. "Well, she's fine but she got herself into a fight--"

"So she's really not fine?!"

Kellan winced when Larid hit him with a rolled newspaper that made him shake his head.

God, why am I even surrounded by this dickheads anyway?

"Idiot. Patapusin mo muna kasi ang sasabihin ni Titus. Hindi na niya matapos sinasabi niya, inuumahan mo kasi, eh."

Napabuntong-hininga si Titus. "Bud, inuunahan. Hindi inuunahan." Pagtatama niya kay Larid.

"Okay, okay. Thanks for correcting me," Larid said as he hit Kellan again with the newspaper before leaving them both in the living room.

Kellan just raised his middle finger in Larid's direction, making him chuckle a bit. Total dickhead.

"So ano? Makikinig ka na ba? Hindi mo na ako uunahan?"

"Ano pa nga ba? Pa-suspense ka rin kasi," Kellan said that made his jaw drop.

Ako pa talaga? "Tsk. Listen now. Phoebe got herself into a fight though she was able to handle it."

Kellan smile that made him smile too. "Yeah, my girl is strong now. This is the first that she really fight back you know. I will never forget this one."

"Pero kung napa-away, ano na nangyari sa loob ng mansion? Maingay ba ulit?"

"Always. Lagi naman may nasasabi ang Stepmother ni Phoebe though what happened when Phoebe talked to her Dad and Francheska, Phoebe's Dad silenced the b***h. Kinampihan niya ngayon si Phoebe."

Kellan chuckle before standing up and walked towards Larid's fridge. He shook his head when he saw Kellan taking two of Larid's canned beer.

"Sawa ka na ba sa buhay mo, Kellan? Gusto mo yata talagang mapatay ni Larid?" amused niyang tanong dito.

"Nah, mabait naman ang kaibigan nating Nephilim. He's just hot-headed with a soft heart."

Napailing siya. Tama naman kasi ang sinabi nito. For the past seven years, ito ang tumulong sa kanila para mahasa ang mga nakatago nilang abilidad. Larid's a living mortal encyclopedia to them. Halos lahat ng alam nito sa mga mortal ay itinuro din sa kanila maliban na lang sa baluktot nitong pagtatagalog.

Natulak nila itong mag-aral ng kanilang wika dahil sa ayaw din nitong nagmumukha kawawa tuwing nagtatagalog silang dalawa ni Kellan.

Sa pitong taon na lumipas, tatlo silang nagtutulungan. Hindi lang dahil kay Phoebe kung hindi dahil sa namuong pagkakaibigan mayro'n sila.

It took seven years for Titus to realize that the friendship they had are pure and not just about because they needed each other.

Kaya naman ngayon, kahit hindi niya sabihin ay nagpapasalamat siya. Kahit gaano kakulit at mukhang tanga si Larid at Kellan, nagpapasalamat siyang may mga kasama siya.

If he never met Kellan and Larid, maybe he's long gone because the whole 26th Division already discovered him disobeying their laws and job as a grim reaper.

Naging malaking tulong sa kaniya ang dalawa niyang kaibigan. Mula sa problema niya kay Phoebe maging sa trabaho niya bilang grim reaper.

Kellan throws the other canned beer to him. Nang masalo niya ang canned beer, agad niya itong binuksan at uminom.

The bitterness of the beer instantly clings to his tongue, making him shake a bit. "Brrr, hindi pa rin ako sanay sa lasa nito. I still prefer wine over this canned beer."

Napatawa naman sa kaniya si Kellan. "Arte mo, para naman hindi ka ganiyan noong unang beses na natikman mo rin ang wine. Mas malala pa nga dahil sumuka ka nang sumuka."

Titus cringed. Not want to remember the things that made him embarassed to face Larid. Hindi niya pa rin makalimutan na nasukahan niya ito kung kaya't may mga oras na nag-aalangan siyang pumunta sa pamamahay nito.

"Yeah." Pareho silang napatingin kay Larid na ngayon ay may dalang isang case ng beer pagkatapos ay umupo sa kaharap nilang couch. "Though let's move on. Ang mahalaga, sakay na siya na sa wine."

Napailing siya samantalang si Kellan ay napakunot-noo. "Dude, it's sanay, not sakay. Sakay is a word we use when we want someone to be on board as a passenger while sanay is a word we used for mastering something like us, getting used to manipulating something around us."

"Ohh..." Larid said as he nods his head. "Okay. Thank you for correcting me again. God, studying this Filipino language is making my head ache," ani Larid na pareho nilang ikinatuwa ni Kellan.

"Well, you're getting good at it so..." Kellan shrugs as he drinks his beer. "You know. Masasanay ka rin."

Tumango-tango si Titus. "Yeah, masasanay ka rin."

"Well, thank you, guys. But enough of this. Let's talk about something." Tumingin si Larid sa kaniya. Larid looks curious after opening it's canned beer.

"So, what are you planning Titus? You know, I'm a half-angel, half-mortal. But I know my limitations. I know how to end things. I know how to let go."

Know how to let go? "What do you mean Larid?"

Huminga ng malalim si Larid na ikinakunot ng noo niya. He never saw Larid looking so problematic about something. Specially it's about him that he's asking about.

Tumunga ito mula sa sarili nitong canned beer bago siya seryosong hinarap. Mata sa mata.

"I'll be real. I mean, let's be real. Because time will come, what we're going to discuss right now will help us, especially you, Titus," sabi ni Larid na agad niyang ikina-seryoso samantalang si Kellan ay nanatiling tahimik.

"If something happens and it's so hard to decide, for example. Phoebe reaching her point where she became so adventurous because you know..." Uminom sa canned beer si Larid at muling inilapag ito. "This phase really happens on mortals. Where even if everything is so messed up, they tend to indulge to gain experience?" Tumingin sa kaniya si Larid. "What will you do, Kellan?"

"Well, for me. I've learned that mortals can be so persistent when they want something. Like, they are so eager to let everything go with the flow. So, since it was Titus who is so worried about Phoebe, well... I am too. But whatever mistake I see, I immediately tell it to Titus, right bud?"

Titus nodded. "Yeah, I'm a listener though there will be times that I act irrationally, especially if it was for Phoebe."

"Then you'll know what to do when she has her first boyfriend?"

Kellan suddenly spits the beer he just drank. Making Titus wonder and curious.

"First boyfriend? You mean a friend that is a boy, right?" Titus said, completely clueless.

Umiling si Larid. "Nope. A boyfriend is a male partner with whom Phoebe can have a romantic or s****l relationship."

Titus went silent as he felt a sudden rage of anger in his being.

"Phoebe is just thirteen, Larid. Why the f**k she will have a boyfriend? She doesn't need one," seryosong sagot niya kay Larid na ikinakibit-balikat nito.

"Dude, chill. It's just a situation. No need to be angry," ani Kellan habang tinatapik siya sa balikat nito.

"But it will, Titus. Maybe when she's already eighteen or so. That's why I said this conversation is useful. We get to know what kind of reaction you will have and now..." Seryoso siyang tinignan ni Larid. "I guess Phoebe have the wrong protector."

"Larid, what the f**k, dude?" Kellan said as he looks at Larid, brows furrowed.

Titus stared at Larid who's also not breaking eye contact with him. "What? Did I hit a nerve? You got a problem with Phoebe having a boy who will protect her and be romantic with her?"

"Dude, stop. What the heck is your problem?" Kellan said nervously as he senses Larid's near death.

"What? You gonna kill me? Are you gonna reap me? Rip my soul?" Larid laughed.

Nanatiling tahimik si Titus habang nakayukom na ang kamao niya. I want to kill this dickhead.

"Larid, shut the f**k up! This is not a discussion anymore. What is wrong with you?" Kellan said that made Larid laughs louder.

Titus grinned. He manipulated the nearest vase in their direction flying back to purposely hit Larid but Larid immediately breaks the vase with his one hand fisted.

Pinagpagan ni Larid ang kamay at namaywang sa harap nilang dalawa. "Chill, Titus. I'm just confirming something. I'm just pissing you off purposely."

Napatanga naman si Kellan. "Really?"

Tumango si Larid sa kanilang dalawa at mahinang natawa.

"I just confirmed. Phoebe is the luckiest mortal in this era."