The soft hum of the morning filled the apartment. The gentle rustling of the curtains, the faint clinking of a spoon against ceramic, the occasional chirp of birds outside. It was quiet, warm, peaceful.
Colet stood by the kitchen, lazily stirring her coffee, but her gaze was locked on something far more interesting.
Maloi.
Curled up on the couch, wrapped in a too-big hoodie, hair a little messy from sleep. She held a steaming mug in her hands, her fingers barely peeking out from the sleeves. Her eyes were still heavy with drowsiness, lips slightly parted as she blew softly on her drink.
Colet smiled.
How could she ever be expected to function properly when her Langga looked like this?
She took a slow step forward, then another, closing the distance between them.
"Your smile," Colet murmured, "could make a broken clock start ticking again."
Maloi blinked, confused, eyes still half-lidded. "Hah?"
Colet smirked, sitting beside her on the couch, close enough that their knees brushed. "I mean, my heart’s been stuck at ‘holy shit, she’s beautiful’ since I met you."
Maloi’s fingers twitched against the mug. Her lips pursed as she stared at Colet, processing. "Did you just flirt with me? Before I even finished my coffee?"
Colet grinned. "I did."
Maloi groaned, setting her cup down with dramatic flair. "Langga, I need you to know something very important."
Colet leaned in, eyes twinkling. "Hmm?"
Maloi sighed. "I am at my weakest in the morning. My brain is still buffering. I am defenseless right now."
Colet chuckled, tilting her head. "So what you’re saying is… this is the perfect time to tell you how much I love you?"
Maloi blinked rapidly, like she was caught off guard. "Wait— what—?"
Colet tucked a strand of hair behind Maloi’s ear, her touch lingering. "If love was a currency, I'd be deep in debt for spending all my heart on you." She smiled softly. "But don’t worry, Langga, I'd gladly go bankrupt again."
Maloi froze.
Her ears turned red first, then her cheeks, then slowly her entire face. She hugged her knees, burying half her face in her sleeves. "Colet, jusko naman, let me live."
Colet chuckled, but her voice was gentle. "I’d write you a love song, but every time I try, the words get jealous because they’ll never be as beautiful as you."
Maloi groaned into her hoodie. "LANGGA."
"Yes, ga?" Colet teased, nudging her gently.
Maloi peeked up at her, pouting. "You cannot be this romantic before breakfast. It should be illegal."
Colet smirked. "Too bad. I have more."
Maloi flailed. "NO—"
Colet leaned in, dropping her voice to something softer, more intimate. "If kisses were raindrops, I’d summon a hurricane just to drown in the storm of your lips."
Maloi clutched a pillow to her chest. "ISA! COLET! I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THIS."
Colet laughed, pressing a lingering kiss to Maloi’s forehead. "If I were a painter, every canvas would just be different shades of you—because nothing else in the world is worth painting."
Maloi let out a whimper. "Ga…"
Colet smiled, cupping her face gently, running a thumb over her cheek. "Langga," she murmured, "I want to be the reason your lips are a little swollen, but only because you can’t stop biting them every time I whisper how much I love you."
Maloi let out a small, shaky breath. She blinked up at Colet, her eyes shining, her lips trembling just slightly. "You love me that much?"
Colet kissed her nose, then her cheek, before whispering against her skin, "More than the sun loves the sky, more than the moon loves the sea. More than words can ever explain."
Maloi made a small, overwhelmed noise before launching herself into Colet’s arms, tackling her into the couch. "LANGGA, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THINGS LIKE THAT—"
Colet just held her close, laughing softly as Maloi buried her face into her neck, hiding.
After a moment, Maloi mumbled, voice muffled, "I love you too, you know."
Colet smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I know."
She pulled Maloi back just enough to look at her, then grinned. "I mean, obviously. You wouldn’t be this flustered if you didn’t."
Maloi whined and smacked her shoulder. "Ugh, epal mo. Kainis!"
Colet only laughed, pulling her in tighter, knowing that Maloi didn’t mean it—not even a little bit.
And so they stayed like that, tangled up in each other, in soft laughter, in whispered I love you’s, in a morning filled with nothing but love.