III

   

It was just the two of them in the apartment when they got home. Lou pulled out two six-packs of beer from the fridge and sat on the couch with Aya.

She was wearing his oversized Ludwig-Maximillian University jacket. Aya's white denim jacket was damp because of their rendezvous in the lake, and was already in the laundry. 

She was just wearing boyleg panties underneath, and nothing else. Lou's insanely large hoodie covered her entire modesty, anyway. Aya felt comfortable like that. Besides, she didn't pack pambahay clothes. It was unusually hot and humid when they got to the city.

Lou was just wearing an old blue sweater and boxer shorts. He already felt comfortable with Aya after they swam in just their undergarments. Heck, she's already seen him naked. Both of them are way past the clothing part, literally no piece of clothing that they would or wouldn't wear would make them uncomfortable around each other.

Aya cooked up a quick stir fry dinner for both of them. Two separate bowls were sitting on the coffee table with chopsticks on top of each, and they've been there for a few minutes now. 

Not that they're hungry for dinner, anyway. 

The tension is back. And this time, it's palpable. 

They both can feel the electricity pulsating between them in the couch, crackling like lightning bolts. There was just about three inches of space between them. They can feel each other's heat radiating through.

Aya reached for the beer bottle on the table, and drank about half of it in one go - as if it would calm her nerves down. All the alcohol just intensified whatever she was feeling. 

And as if on queue, Damien Rice's "Delicate" started playing on the speakers. 

"We might kiss when we are alone

Nobody's watching

We might take it home

We might make out when nobody's there

It's not that we're scared

It's just that it's delicate"

Aya propped the bottle back in the coffee table. And all of a sudden, she felt a hand on her waist.

Lou grabbed her to him, while his other hand reached for her nape, and leaned in to kiss her. 

Surprised as she was, Aya closed her eyes, and kissed him back - slowly... then passionately.

He smelled like malt and mint and the clean lake water all at once. 

Her hands found Lou's nape - their lips and tongues tugging, pushing and pulling. 

Aya's lips were soft and sweet. It made him heady. He pulled her closer into him on the couch so she was sitting on top of him. 

Aya obliged.

Lou's hands fumbled to Aya's hips, and slowly made their way to the inside of his hoodie that she was wearing. He was already touching the sides of her small waist, then her back. Her skin was so warm. 

Touching her was electric, kissing her was a storm, and breathing her in was like a kamikaze. And it was making him feel as high as a kite. The wave of emotion let a low groan in his throat.

They were all breaths, hands, lips and hair; tangled, entwined, while Damien Rice's ballad was blasting through the speakers.

"We might make love in some sacred place,

The look on your face is delicate"

Aya lightly bit Lou's lower lip, they both giggled. 

Lou stood up from the couch, their lips still locked. Aya's legs were clasped on his hips. Both of them were already panting.

He carried Aya to his bedroom across the hall hurriedly, using his foot to close the door then carefully laid her on his bed. 

Aya's legs were still wrapped around him. 

Lou pulled his shirt off, and leaned in to kiss her again. He held her hands by the side of her head, pinning her down on the bed. 

She didn't want it to end, to ruin the moment, and neither did he. 

"Ich bin zuhause!" someone called from the hall. It was Bartosz. 

Aya pulled away from Lou, snickering. Lou's head was buried in Aya's hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Shh," He hovered over her for a second, "I'll be back in a minute." He whispered against her lips then kissed her forehead.

She was biting her lip, watching Lou get into his shirt. 

"Lou?" Bartosz cried out from the hall. "Lou!"

"Jesus Fuck," he groaned. He leaned onto Aya one more time to kiss her. She gave him a sexy, inviting smile.

Then he was out the door. 

---

After a few minutes, Lou went back to his bedroom to find Aya now getting dressed. 

WHAT. 

He wanted to hit rewind.

She was wearing skin-tight black jeans and was just in a black bra. She pulled a gray satin thin-strapped sleeveless shirt from her luggage. She slipped it on, her shirt showing off her midriff. She sat down on Lou's bed to put on her black ankle boots. She was a vision. Her jeans perfectly hugged her figure, and showed off her curves.

"Let's go out," Aya commanded, her foot in the air and pulling on her boots.

But he badly wanted to touch her again, to taste her lips. They tasted and smelled like sweet peaches. 

Reluctantly, he pulled a fresh collared blue shirt from his closet.

"Hurry up," she stood up and helped Lou button his shirt up, biting her lower lip. "Ang bagal."

"I'd rather you unbutton it," Lou teased. He tugged down Aya's lower lip, tilted her chin up, then leaned for a kiss.

"We'll get to that later," Aya promised.

Lou grinned from ear-to-ear, and was already sliding his feet into his Onitsuka Tigers.

"Maybe," she smiled, putting on a black leather jacket. "We've got to get to this bar first."

---

   

When they arrived at the Atomic Café, they can already hear drum beats and guitar riffs.

"Motherf-" Aya gasped. "Lucius!" 

She stared at Lou, he was clearly confused. "They're the greatest band. Ever. I saw on their Instagram that they're here, in Munich!" she exclaimed. "Shh! Just listen."

He was looking at her with wonder. Even in the dim bar lights, she glowed. Her face was bare, she just wore a peach-flavored lip balm. Her hair was in a beautiful mess. Her cheeks were naturally flushed and was sun-kissed from their tryst in the lake that afternoon. Tiny pink and brown freckles were now noticeable on the bridge of her nose.

She looked enamored while the duo sang in the middle of the bar.

"Nobody knows how loud your heart gets

'Cause we're a million miles away but I still hear you

And I'm going, going, going, going to get you"

Aya started to sway, closed her eyes and surrendered to the music. She looked like magic.

Lou went behind Aya, then grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder while she danced to the music. He kissed her ear.

Aya rested her hands above Lou's, placed on her bare midriff. She loved how warm his hands were, it was making her feel fuzzy. They were now both swaying to the rhythm.

"Like a robber in the night, I'm going to get you"

She then turned to him, tipped her toes and pulled down his nape to kiss him. 

Lou placed his hands in the back pockets of her jeans and pulled her to his hips. 

The beat of the drum matched the pounding of her heart. It was magical. Aya never felt anything like it. Nothing she could ever compare to.

She pulled away from the kiss, then looked up at Lou. "This day is perfect," she breathed against his lips.

He smiled, realizing that it was her answer to his question while they were driving to the lake, "What would make your day perfect?".

They kissed again, and the band encored.

It's as if time stood still. They looked forever young... and in love.

---

   

When they got back to Lou's apartment, it was already past 2am. They've been drinking all night and talked just about anything and everything. Plenty of guys at the bar kept hitting on Aya, but her eyes were just fixed on Lou's.

Aya kept laughing at Lou for not knowing which keys were to the front door. He was feeling woozy, both of them were - but sober enough to know what they're doing.

When the door opened, Lou scooped Aya in his arms. His mouth found hers. He wanted her. He desperately wanted her.

She was already pinned to the back of the door. She pulled away from him a little bit to remove her leather jacket and hung it blindly on the wooden coat hanger by the door. 

Aya kicked off her boots and hopped onto Lou, clasping her legs on his hips. 

He carried and sat her to the kitchen counter so that they're face-to-face. He reached for the hem of her shirt, yanked it up hurriedly and dropped it to the floor. 

Aya fiddled and unbuttoned Lou's shirt. It was stuck on the cuffs. 

He tugged it hard and ended up knocking the pepper shaker off the table.

It made them giggle in the midst of making out.

Lou stared at her for a second. She was so beautiful. Her hazel eyes wide and sparkling even in the dim of the kitchen lights. God, she looked so sexy.

He carried Aya to his room and ever so carefully laid her on bed, helping her get out of her jeans.

They stared longingly at each other, as if they were asking questions with their eyes - something they wouldn't dare to ask out loud.

He cupped her face, then closed his eyes and went in to kiss her - running his lips through her nose, eyes, temples. Her long dark lashes brushed his lips, his mouth tracing the back of her ear, neck and clavicle - all while he was unbuckling his belt. 

"Hey," he breathed against her lips, pulling away an inch. "You sure you want to?..." he trailed off. 

She nodded, her eyelashes fluttering, and pulled him to her. 

She could never be more sure.

******

English Translations:

pambahay (FILIPINO) - (usually clothing) Intended for use in the house or in the neighborhood.

"Ang bagal" (FILIPINO) - What a slowpoke.