Maybe Tonight

"Sinag?"

She froze in her seat when she heard his deep, melodious voice. Of all the places on earth, she had to bump into him here.

She'd always thought that travelling all the way to White Beach, Puerto Galera would take him out of the equation.

If she went as far away from Metro Manila as possible then she would definitely NOT bump into him.

Sinag had planned her three day Holy Week vacation ahead of time. She'd gotten permission from her strict parents, her older brothers and younger sister to leave the city for a while to spend some time alone in the beach.

Her work as a high profile lawyer left her drained and exhausted so she needed regular vacations to stay sane.

She'd chosen a lovely rustic beach resort called Amami in the farthest part of the island to enjoy the sunsets, the walks in the beach and the fabulous Italian food that Fabian prepared specially for her.

All she needed was a three day vacation to come back to work feeling fully charged and rejuvenated.

When she arrived that afternoon to check into her room, she was very glad that she'd gotten a beautiful view of the ocean and a private terrace so she can read, nap or read in peace. She also loved the fine Italian linen, the romantic white mosquito net and the overall rustic, tropical feel of her suite.

After a hearty dinner at the resort's cozy restaurant that evening, she decided to walk to White Beach to check out the night spots.

Holy Week in White Beach, Puerto Galera was an event that she didn't want to miss although she was not the type to party. She just wanted to be in the middle of a crowded beach with fireworks and live music.

Sinag walked around the pristine white beach before settling on a tiny bar that was farthest away from the action.

Although she loved being around people when she went on these solo trips, she still craved silence, solitude and a very cold beer while she stared off at the ocean in the distance.

This particular bar was at the west side of White Beach and comfortably nestled close to the cove. There weren't a lot of patrons inside because there were no loud music, no foreigners and no ladies in bikinis.

But Sinag liked it because they played bossa nova and they had a fantastic outdoor bar with wooden floors and fairy lights. It was a perfect match to her lonesome but contented mood.

Unfortunately, Fate seemed intent on playing a joke on her tonight.

The 29-year-old woman with white-blonde hair that gleamed under the dim light of the bar slowly turned to the source of the voice. Her bright brown eyes landed on the tall, dark and handsome features of her old childhood friend, Iglap Armanaz.

"Sinag Krisandra Trese, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked casually as he sat down on the stool next to her.

Her face went even redder when he uttered her full name like that. Even the tequila shot that she drank earlier didn't even have an effect on her. She was grateful that the bar she'd chosen had dim lights or he would see the circus of colors on her face.

"None of your business," she huffed. The young man gave her a Look that she returned haughtily. "What are you doing here?"

Iglap grinned at her cheekily. "None of your business."

Sinag kicked his shin under the bar. She watched with quiet satisfaction as he winced in pain and bit his sexy lip to avoid letting out an outraged gasp. Then she waved to the bartender and asked for a couple of Smirnoff Mules.

A couple of minutes later, they were sitting in silence at the bar with a bottle in each hand. A pleasant summer breeze ruffled Sinag and Iglap's hair. She felt the breeze caress her exposed shoulders, arms and legs under her short white dress.

"So you colored your hair," he said awkwardly.

She smiled at his attempt to restart their conversation. The young woman couldn't help but touch the uneven ends of her crowning glory self-consciously under his intent gaze. It was a far cry from the long, dark and curly hairstyle of her youth.

"It looks..." Iglap tried to smile at her. "Great."

Sinag smirked. "You don't like it."

"Of course I like it!" he told her quickly.

She had known that he liked her previous hairstyle a lot and that was the main reason why she kept it. A sad smile tugged at her heart-shaped lips. "I had it cut and colored before this trip. It felt really freeing."

Iglap stared at her seriously before nodding. She watched him take a gulp of his Smirnoff Mule straight from the bottle and felt her throat go dry. "I like it, Sinag."

"Thanks Iggy." She gave him a genuine smile this time and she saw his expression relax. The air between them felt lighter. "I surprised my entire family when they saw the change. They thought I'd gone crazy like Miley Cyrus."

He started laughing hard and it took her two seconds before she joined in. Neither of them said anything for several minutes. Both of them took a while to catch their breaths.

When Sinag leaned into the bar's counter and rested her face on her arm while looking up at him, he couldn't look away.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked slyly.

"Maliksi is courting a Cebuano heiress and he begged me to come with him this weekend." Iglap explained to her, grinning. She stared at him with eyes as wide as saucers. "Ellie Aguila is his flavor of the week. She's a hardcore party girl and he's kind of afraid that he might go overboard. That's why I'm here... I have to keep him in check. What about you?"

Sinag smiled sheepishly. "I'm on vacation from my hectic job and overbearing family."

"I'm not surprised to find you in a bar. Guess it's that Trese blood that can't stay away from alcohol." Iglap's smile was impish.

She was sorely disappointed when he moved his leg away from her feet to avoid another kick.

"I get it. Your job's eating your life away and you're getting burned out. You should see the dark circles under your eyes. Staying up late all the time will also ruin your skin," he told her seriously before taking another sip of his drink.

Sinag rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Stop it. You're starting to sound like Kuya Jimmy! But you're a Tikbalang and your skin is forever perfect! Not fair!"

She jumped when she felt his hand on her cheek.

Iglap's tender, chocolate brown eyes kept her glued to her spot. She wondered vaguely if this was how a mouse would feel under the hypnotic gaze of a snake... Then she thought that she would be a happy little mouse as long as he was the boa python that would wrap around her body.

"Oh Sinag," he muttered under his breath. "You still don't know how beautiful you are to me."

Sinag's cheeks colored under his intense gaze and moved away slowly. Iglap let his hand fall to his lap and finished his drink.

She reached up to tuck her hair behind her right ear self-consciously and didn't miss his eyes following her every move. The dim light of the bar made the pearl earring twinkle and shine under his appreciative gaze.

"I remember those earrings. When we first met, you were crying because you lost one of them." Iglap said quietly. "It was your first visit to our house in Makati with your parents and siblings. You'd worn them to match your fancy white lace dress and black shoes. I also remember that you had a pink ribbon on your hair while Alex had a blue one."

"Yes. We're identical twins so it's kind of hard to tell us apart."

She jumped when she felt his pointer finger touch the beauty mark on the lower left side of her cheek. Iglap dodged her punch easily and settled back into his seat with a satisfied grin. "This is how I know that you're Sinag."

Sinag stuck her tongue out at him like a first grader. He laughed heartily at her reaction and felt his stomach become full of butterflies when she reached up to touch the spot that he'd touched. He didn't miss the soft, tender look that crossed her face before she resumed a neutral expression.

"That was a fun, family visit. It was the first time that we were introduced to your clan after your extended trip to Europe. Lolo Armanaz was pleased to finally meet Alex," she said after she'd finished off her drink. "After all, it's not everyday for him to meet the heir to our family legacy."

Iglap nodded slowly. He still remembered the first day that they met like it was yesterday.

The sticky summer heat, the cold iced tea and the sweet tartness of turon with langka for merienda was inseparable with an image of a six-year-old Sinag Trese in a white dress and a pink ribbon on her hair.

After the formal introductions, the children were allowed to play with each other while the grown-ups caught up over merienda.

The four older Trese boys had run straight to the old, huge and plentiful mango trees in the backyard with the Tikbalang boys named Iglap and Maliksi.

Iglap was truly surprised when he saw the girl with the pink ribbon roughhousing with the boys while her twin sister watched them with disinterest.

It was obvious that Alex was more interested in counting the ghosts inside the mansion instead of the games. She stayed back with her parents and chatted amiably with Lolo Armanaz like a tiny adult.

Sinag was different because she took off her shoes, hiked up her skirt and tied up her hair to play habulan, patintero, luksong tinik and luksong baka.

Iglap had never seen a human girl jump that high or run that fast. He'd never seen anyone glow under the warm afternoon sunshine after leaping over the highest "wall of thorns" that he and Maliksi created on luksong tinik.

When he saw her crying and angrily punching Jimmy for the first time, he knew that he wanted to be friends with her.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her when she laughed during their games or whenever she won. An adventurous tomboy in a pretty dress was exactly how he saw her.

"Kuya Jimmy was being a big jerk and pulled my ribbon out," Sinag giggled as she relaxed in her seat. He stared at her as she took a long swig out of her drink.

"Mama was so mad when he accidentally dislodged the pearl earring from my left earlobe! I still don't know how he did that. He couldn't even come near me for the rest of the visit," she recalled fondly.

"Well, I told him not to go near you or I'd punch him." Iglap said quietly as if speaking to himself.

Sinag remembered how her brothers had lost their cool and panicked when she started crying at Jimmy's bullying. Kuya Carlos, Rick and Matt was so mad at Jimmy because his teasing had gone too far.

They've been playing in the grass and her pearl earring had fallen somewhere on the ground. But Iglap was immediately at her side and pulling at her hand so they can start searching...

It took them the better part of the late afternoon to find the earring. Iglap used his superior eyesight to find the tiny pearl glinting under the sampaguita bush. How it had gotten there was still a mystery.

It was Iglap who found it and gave it to Sinag.

He watched her intently when she'd pushed her hair back to attach it to her ear and secured it with the tiny lock. Then he yelped in surprise when she threw herself at him in an enthusiastic hug.

"Thank you, Iggy!"

Iglap had smiled at her nickname and reluctantly placed his arms around her in a hug. Then her brothers and an envious Maliksi crowded around them and pulled him away from her. From that day on, they became best of friends.

Although Iglap was older than Sinag by five years, they saw each other as equals and treated each other with respect, trust and love. Her brothers didn't understand why she liked Iglap so much when she could have other friends.

None of them saw what Sinag had seen that day.

"You never went anywhere without your pearl earrings and that's how I can tell between you and Alex."

She started at the tenderness in his voice. The smile that he gave her was tinged with sadness and regret. She felt her heart clench inside her chest and then she looked away.

The stars had given way to a beautiful, full moon that was now shining over the sea.

It was common knowledge that their strong, childhood bond had weakened over the years as they grew up.

Sinag watched Iglap take on more responsibilities for their clan and to act as a big brother to Maliksi. When Maliksi was sent to Visayas for his training in their teens, Iglap had gone with him.

It left Sinag alone and lonely for the first time. They stayed in touch via long-distance phone calls and letters but they also dwindled over time. She was not used to having her best friend around.

Years passed and Sinag used the time to extract herself from her attachment to Iglap. It hurt Sinag a lot when she heard over the supernatural grapevine that he courted a human girl and that's why he didn't have any more time for his best friend.

There were more girls, more party stories and more wild adventures, as told by Jimmy, who was a part of the rowdy crew. Maliksi was always leading the charge with a faithful Iglap to keep him in line.

Whenever Iglap visited the Trese home, a grown-up Sinag would find a way to go to the bookstore, library, the Diabolical or even to UP Diliman to visit Kuya Rick just to get away from the house.

She didn't want their paths to cross ever again. It was painful to her to imagine listening to Iglap's stories of his girlfriends, his travels and his dreams to become a major player in the supernatural chess board.

It hurt her cardiovascular organ to think that Iglap had found other women more alluring, more intelligent and more attractive than her.

So Sinag went on to study law in UP after earning a political science degree. Alex completed her degree in Human Resources and started on her job of keeping the balance between both worlds.

Both sisters had scholarships and part time jobs in the Diabolical to help them out in their pursuit of higher education.

Jimmy paid them a visit last year and it was through him that she heard about Iglap's decision to get a job overseas. He'd been smitten with a pretty human girl who got a job offer in Singapore.

When she left, he followed her to a different country and left his responsibilities as Lolo Armanaz's right-hand man to everyone's shock.

As soon as Sinag heard Jimmy's story while carrying a tray of drinks from the kitchen to the family's usual table, she dropped it. She took the opportunity to hide her teary eyes as she cleaned up the mess and then hid in the kitchen for the rest of the day.

It was painfully obvious to everyone in the Trese family that Sinag had a tiny crush on her childhood friend since they in their were preteens.

They simply waited for their girl to wake up one day and realize that she'd fallen for the boy next door. Even serious Alex who was uninterested in romantic affairs stayed mum about the topic and waited for her elder sister to confide in her. But she never did.

So she nursed her little broken heart and told herself that she didn't want to see him again.

The Trese family watched Sinag throw herself into her studies with renewed gusto. She focused her energy and her attention on her law degree. She didn't date anyone or even showed any interested in a XX-chromosome human in her pursuit of her law school career.

Whenever Jimmy lovingly teased his sister, she bristled at being called Manang and NBSB.

"I'm just taking my time!" and "I'm a career woman and I don't need a guy!" were always heard at the Diabolical.

Sinag thought that she was already okay when the news hit her last week. As soon as her father, Anton, told the family over dinner that Iglap had come back to Manila for good and was going to visit them soon for dinner, she left the bar to go to a beauty salon.

When she came back, she'd cut off her long hair for a chic bob and dyed it white-blonde. She also called her boss and asked for a three day vacation leave for Holy Week from Black Friday to Easter Sunday. Then she booked her vacation in Amami Beach Resort and prepared herself to share the spur-of-the-moment vacation plans to her family.

To say that her parents were shocked were an understatement.

She packed her bags and booked it to the next bus to Batangas Pier. It was true that she wasn't ready to see him and she didn't want to be anywhere near Metro Manila when he came to visit her family.

Seeing him in the exact place where she'd run off to meant that Kuya Jimmy had snitched on her. She was going to murder him when she got back.

"I don't know what to say," she retorted sharply. "Should I tell my sister that you have a crush on her?"

Iglap stared, flabbergasted.

"If I know any better, you're going to ask me now if you can have Alex's number. Well, mister, I'm not going to give it to you! I don't want my little sister to date a randy Tikbalang who likes to sleep around." Sinag's voice rose a little. She got up from her seat, rummaged inside her purse for a couple of hundred bills and threw it on the bar. The bartender didn't say anything and took her payment. "I've paid for your drink for old time's sake. Bye Iglap."

Sinag stalked out of the bar and headed straight to the beach.

Iglap got up from the stool and stared at her retreating back. He was caught by surprise when Maliksi popped up next to him. His cousin was smiling impishly as they stared at Sinag faded into the crowd.

"Did you two have a lover's quarrel?" Maliksi asked innocently. The older Tikbalang wanted to rub his palm over his face.

"We're not like that!" Iglap replied in a strangled voice. "We're just best friends since childhood. That's all!"

The look that his cousin gave him was nonplussed and unconvinced. But he was grateful when Maliksi let it slide. "I was wondering when you were going to join our table. Is Sinag alone? Is she on a trip with cute friends?"

"She's alone. I'd heard from Rick that Sinag had taken to solo travels since she turned 27. Law school is hard and so is earning your work reputation. It's not a bad idea to travel to get away." The older Tikbalang brushed the sand off his shorts and contemplated on his next move.

"I don't get why she's so angry at me. It's the first time we've seen each other in years and then she accuses me of having a crush on her sister. Her sister!" Iglap was truly confused at this point.

"She's angry because you didn't pay her a visit ASAP when we arrived from Singapore. She's mad because she's heard from our circle of friends and other sources that you've dated around like the randy, young Tikbalang that you are." Maliksi shrugged elegantly. "You were her best friend but you didn't even bother to visit her as soon as your hooves touched NAIA."

"We've lost touch over the years! How was I supposed to know that she was waiting for me to show up?" The dark-haired young Tikbalang sighed deeply and stuck his hands inside the pocket of his shorts. "I mean, we're five years apart. I'm 33 now. I was too focused on my job as Lolo's assistant. She's only 29 and starting out as a lawyer. From what I've heard, she's always busy. She doesn't even have time to keep an eye on Alex."

"Well, you could have reached out to her somehow. You don't know a lot about women, Igs." Maliksi gave him a shit-eating grin.

"As if you do!" The younger Tikbalang's closest cousin looked annoyed. "All you do is sleep around, race and waste your talents on useless pursuits. If it wasn't for me, you'd be trash now."

"Exactly why Lolo insisted that you should stay with me!" The heir to the Armanaz clan protested weakly. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not serious about learning the ropes of our businesses and other important matters. I'm just having a lot of fun until Lolo starts asking me for a wife, a couple of foals and a house inside a white picket fence. By that time, you should have some war stories from the front already."

Iglap punched Maliksi on the arm. The younger Tikbalang rubbed the aching spot gingerly.

"You know, I think I'm okay already with Ellie for tonight. No drugs, no heavy drinking and no wild parties. I promise." Maliksi dodged Iglap's next punch swiftly. "That was a joke! Have you forgotten about jokes? Bathala's name, you're so serious!"

"You know that you should never, ever think about those kinds of vices." The Tikbalang sniffed angrily.

Maliksi had always been just a little scared of Iglap whenever he started lecturing him about the codes of conduct and rule book of their clan. So he said the next thing that popped into his mind. "Fine, got it. Why don't you go and make up with Sinag?"

As soon as he'd said that, Iglap was gone in a flash.

Sinag placed a significant distance between her and the bar within 10 minutes. She was glad that she was wearing comfortable white sneakers instead of sandals because she could run on the sand.

When she was back on the road, she hailed a passing empty tricycle to bring her back to Amami Beach Resort. Her bright brown eyes watched the seaside landscape pass her by and counted the stars on the summer sky.

Someday, somehow, she would earn enough money and live on a seaside property like Amami.

When the tricycle dropped her off, Sinag paid a hefty one hundred pesos to the driver.

She figured that Iglap would never find her or figure out where she was staying so she was safe for now.

The blonde young woman walked into the resort and noticed that most of the lights were dimmed down. When she checked her wristwatch, she realized that it was already 3 AM.

I'm not sleepy right now, she thought absently. Maybe I should go for a night swim.

So Sinag walked carefully on the narrow paved road from the resort that led to the wide expanse of a private seashore that the hotel owned.

In the middle of the night, it was empty and eerily quiet. It was perfect.

It was a beautiful summer night with plenty of stars and a full moon that took up the lioness's share of the sky. A pleasant sea breeze passed by to ruffle her white blonde hair, white dress and shoelaces. The ocean was calm, deep and full of mysteries.

If she was not careful, she might even catch a glimpse Aman Sinaya dancing with her mermaids and other denizens of the sea. Then the sea creatures would try to take her and make her one of their own because a lonesome Trese was a rare find.

Yes Dad, she thought in amusement. I promise that I won't let them get me.

The time for daydreaming was done. Sinag took off her sneakers to feel the sand on her toes and carried them on her hand as she started a solitary walk along the beach with no end goal.

All she wanted was to walk and to keep walking until sunrise.

She smiled to herself as she thought about how she must look to the fishermen. White-blonde hair, ivory dress and pearly white-skin gleaming under the moonlight, she must have looked like some kind of ocean nymph.

As she walked on the beach, she allowed the ocean to tickle her toes but she didn't venture farther than that. She didn't want to tempt fate when she was alone and unarmed.

Stupid Iglap, she thought absently. Why did you have to follow me here? Why did you even bother making up that story of coming here with Mal?

Her rational brain tried to quash the tiny hope that sprung up inside her arid heart.

Sinag stopped dead on her tracks when she heard the sound of clattering hooves and a horse's whinny behind her.

She immediately turned around to Iglap running to a stop just right behind her in full Tikbalang form.

It had been a long time since she had seen him in his true form. It left her breathless in awe and admiration.

As a Tikbalang, Iglap had the head, upper body and two pairs of hooves of a horse while the rest of his body remained distinctly human.

Her wide brown eyes traveled slowly over his form to take in his muscular build, the strong muscles under his smooth palomino skin, and the silky mane of golden blond hair. To an ordinary human, he would have looked strange, monstrous and fearsome. To Sinag, he was the most gorgeous creature Bathala had ever created on earth.

She stood very still as he slowly stood up to his full height. In the pale moonlight, his palomino coat shone brightly with sweat and his hair was already tangled in some places.

When the breeze blew again, she was overwhelmed by the scent of musk, salt and something deep, musky, earthy and aromatic. Her nostrils flared and her mouth opened a little to take in a deep, langorous breath.

They were both silhouetted against the bright moonlight and the ocean. Neither of them moved. It was now or never.

Iglap transformed back into his human form in front of Sinag.

She saw how well he had aged over the years with small crow's feet on the sides of his eyes, a more angular jawline and a lot more maturity in his handsome face. His golden blonde hair had grown out and stuck in weird places but it only added to his allure. Where there used to be a handsome teenager was now a gorgeous man in his prime.

It also didn't miss her observation that he was stark naked in front of her. Roses bloomed in her cheeks so she looked away into the distant sea. But she knew that Iglap also knew that she'd taken a peek at his lower body parts.

Just to see if he had feet, okay? Sinag told herself in a half-angry tone. Feet and not hooves!

His lips curved into a shy, contrite smile as he gazed at her lovely face. How the years have passed so fast that he didn't even see her grow up in front of his eyes. Regret tugged at his heartstrings. A small sigh escaped him as he noted the change from pretty child to beautiful woman.

She'd cut and dyed her long hair to a chic white-blonde bob. Although she never grew taller than five foot two, she filled out nicely in the right places but she'd hidden them away under her A-line white dress. Iglap could attest to this because he'd noticed her sexy two-piece black bikini under the dress earlier.

If it wasn't for her beauty mark on the lower left side of her cheek then he wouldn't have known that it was tomboyish Sinag Trese in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked calmly.

"Um, I followed your scent and ran all the way here from White Beach." Iglap looked a little amused at her question. "Isn't it obvious that I ran after you?"

She looked surprised at his candid response. "But I thought... I thought you'd be more interested in Alex by now. After all, our parents have been trying to set you up since we were kids."

Iglap was shocked. He stared at her for a full minute before bursting out into hysterical laughter. His best friend of more than a decade stared at him in annoyed silence and a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you get it, Sinag?" he said after several deep breaths. Laughter changed his demeanor from serious to relaxed. He smiled widely at her. "I'm here for you. I came all the way to Puerto Galera to see you."

"B-But-"

"You weren't there in the Trese house," he said quietly. "So I had to follow you all the way here."

He walked slowly to bridge the short distance between them. She trembled under his gaze like a leaf in the wind. In his height of six feet two, he could easily overwhelm her petite frame and he knew that it was his Tikbalang form that probably frightened her.

He promised to himself that he would take his time to make her understand.

"Y-You left me!" Sinag suddenly cried out. "You left me to go to Visayas and then to Singapore! You put Mal first and then your girlfriend! I'm always second best! I'm your best friend but I'm not your number one!"

He stopped in his tracks and let his right hand fall to his side. His brown eyes saddened as he saw her lower lip tremble with held back tears.

As he expected, Sinag immediately looked away so she wouldn't meet his eyes. Classic Sinag. She never wanted to look at her demons in the face and never wanted to meet his eyes.

Iglap gathered up all of his courage, cupped her chin and kissed her deeply. He gave everything to that kiss. He let loose his passion, his devotion and his entire existence into that kiss.

When she responded to his him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go.

They let each other go only because they both needed to breathe.

Neither of them said another word. They were not necessary in communicating the desire, longing and frustration that only true love separated by years can bring. Only their bodies can do the talking for now.

Iglap was surprised when she grabbed at every part of him that she could reach. He relished her frightened squeak when he swept her off her feet. She was still staring up at him in awe and desire when he asked for her room number. He felt himself grow painfully hard when he saw her bite her lower lip sexily.

"Room 13," she murmured into his ear.

They both laughed as Iglap tightened his hold on her. He lifted her up easily like a bridegroom carries his bride on their first wedding night. Sinag immediately wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her way up to his neck and cheek. He thought that he couldn't get any harder when she suddenly bit on the tender underside of his chin.

"You naughty girl," Iglap grunted as they arrived at her room number. He had a hard time in putting the key into the lock, opening the door and holding Sinag in his arms. But he definitely accomplished the goal. "I ought to punish you for that."

"Can't do that if I take a hair out of your mane," she said, giggling. "Then you have to serve me as your mistress forever."

Sinag yelped in surprise as Iglap threw her down on the soft, goose down mattress of the king-sized bed. She felt fear, awe and desire coiled up in her belly. Her whole body hummed with arousal and from an aching desire to possess him and to be taken by him. This was no time to think. All she had to do was to give up her finely-tuned control of herself and let it go.

Iglap followed her to bed and jumped on it hard enough to make her whole body bounce up. Nervous giggles filled the air as she landed on the bed, breathless.

She yelped again when he captured her wrists, pinned them above her head and straddled her. Her lower body was trapped under his strong legs while her arms were captured at the wrists. Their eyes met in an intense gaze.

Fury and desire sparked in her brown eyes. It turned him on when she was full of will and fire. That wild, beautiful spirit had taken him prisoner since he'd been aware of his feelings for her.

"You don't need to do that, Sinag." Iglap whispered as he leaned down to her left cheek. She visibly trembled in his grasp as he placed a gentle kiss on her beauty mark. "I will be your willing slave forever. No need to use magic on me. You caught me from day one."

The Tikbalang felt his heart clench inside his chest when a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. He immediately let go of her arms and cupped her cheeks with both hands while whispering sweet nothings to her.

Unable to hold himself back, he licked the tear away. He relished the salty liquid that contained all of his love's desire, sadness, regret and devotion. With just one tear, Sinag shared all of her feelings to him and Iglad was grateful for them.

"Sinag, please don't cry." He kissed her cheeks, the tip of her nose and then her eyes. She felt his warm palms on her cheeks and his strong body on top of her own. Overwhelmed by his presence, she felt more tears welling up on her eyes.

"I love you, Sinag. You're the only one that I love. I'm so sorry for being such an asshole. I'm sorry because I didn't see your feelings for me..." Iglap murmured as he kept on kissing her face.

"Are you saying those things just because you want to get me into bed?" she sobbed. He smiled fondly at her pessimistic retort and her pragmatic world view. "Just because you can smell that I'm a 29-year-old virgin doesn't mean I'm opening my legs for you!"

"Shhh!" Iglap chuckled sexily into her ear. He lay down on the bed and pulled her to his side. She nestled closer to him and lay her head on top of his broad chest. "You'll wake the neighbors, silly girl."

He kept his eyes on the ceiling because he knew that there was no way to hide his raging manhood from her sight. It was her choice now.

"If you want, we can just cuddle. If you want, manliligaw pa ako sa'yo. Just to prove that my intentions are pure and that I'm not fully focused on deflowering you..." Iglap squeaked when he felt a sharp pinch on his side. "If you want, I'll even go as far as court your parents. Your entire family! I will give you nothing less than my whole, undivided attention and devote myself to your beauty..."

Sinag pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Her brown eyes were twinkling when she let go of him.

"Yes," she whispered. It was consent. It was her permission to allow him to go continue with their lover's reunion.

Sitting up, she pressed a finger against his lips.

Iglap was finally at a loss of words and his own eyes went wide like saucers as she slowly slipped the straps of her short white dress down creamy shoulders. His mouth closed and opened like a fish as he watched her undress in a slow, hypnotic way that was like a divine dance.

With her white blonde hair and opalescent skin, she looked more like a diwata than a mortal. When she discarded her bikini bra and panties, he prayed in fervent gratitude to Bathala for letting him see her naked body in all of it's perfection.

"I love you, Iggy." Sinag said simply as she sat up beside him. He pulled her down to him and kissed her long, hard and deep. His hands roamed all over her body, her white-blond hair and her face. "I'm all yours."

She lay back, closed her eyes and allowed him to explore her like uncharted territory. His warm hands and fingertips drew fire-hot patterns on pale her skin. His lips and tongue played with hers in the eternal dance of lovers.

It was obvious to Sinag that he'd made love to other women before.

Iglap proved that he was skilled as a lover. He knew how to kiss her, how to play with he small but taut breasts and how to coax the river from her hidden flower. She'd seen the pride in his smile when her hips bucked at his ministrations.

He was well-versed in the secrets of a woman's body and even more attuned to his woman's desires. He knew when to bring her up to the brink and when to retreat. He danced with the rhythm of her desire like it was the ebb and flow of the ocean to bring her to greater heights.

Sinag came for the first time when Iglap feasted on her womanhood. He didn't spare his lips, tongue and fingers. He lavished time and attention on the one place of her body that she was shy to touch. He drank every drop and savored the warm taste of her body's elixir. She was sure that she must have taken a trip to heaven at least seven times before he got tired.

As a woman who was ruled by her head and not her heart, she was finally in tune with her own body's needs and wants. She was trembling, shaking and unable to move after his loving attention.

Bright brown eyes stared up in fear and desire at Iglap. He finally moved on top of her and gently placed himself at the entrance of her womanhood. Then her eyes widened even more when he took her hand and slowly wrapped it around his erection.

"Oh Bathala!" She let out a long breath as Iglap rested his forehead on her shoulder, shuddering in suppressed desire. He was large, hard and throbbing in her small hand. How would he fit? He was huge!

As if sensing her panic, he kissed her again. A deep and passionate kiss kept her occupied while she became acquainted with his manhood. She slowly calmed down and he sensed her change of mood.

Iglap leaned down on her, placed an arm above her head and slowly pushed himself inside her. Warmth and wetness immediately closed in on him and he let out a strangled groan. The intense tightness of her channel, overwhelming heat and wetness was both painful and pleasurable to him. It was everything that he could not to thrust in and start moving.

Sinag yelped under him at the sharp pain that sliced through her body.

Worried, he stopped moving and looked down on his beloved's face. She caught his eye and nodded.

That was Sinag for him. She was a fighter. She wouldn't even back down from a challenge. Not even the pain of losing her virginity was enough to scare her.

Aroused, he caught her lips again in a deep and passionate kiss. When he knew that she was already distracted by their kiss, he quickly bound them body and soul to each other.

Sinag might have screamed into his mouth but he didn't know anymore. All he knew was that something warm and sticky coated his manhood. He could also feel that he'd entered her more fully now because her pubic mound scratched his pelvic bone.

"I love you, Sinag." Iglap murmured to her ears as they lay together on the bed. He gently kissed her forehead, ears, nose, cheeks and lips. She wasn't crying but was biting her lip hard enough to make it bleed. "I'm so sorry it hurts. I promise I'll make it feel better. It will get better. "

She was momentarily distracted by that statement. Iglap watched as a smile slowly spread into her lips. Then she nodded to him and he started to move.

Making love with Sinag was everything that he could ask for. Iglap was overwhelmed by pleasure, pain and a wave of intimate, sacred knowledge that only Tikbalangs who'd found their mates could attest to.

Mating with their soulmate was the only way for a Tikbalang to experience a pure, unadulterated ecstasy on earth.

Sinag thought that it lasted forever but over too soon.

Making love with Iglap confirmed to her that the experience was pleasurable, exciting and soulful. She'd always known that making love with the person she loved the most was going to be as pleasurable and intimate as this.

She was nothing but a pulse of pure pleasure and energy in his arms. She was finally all body and fully in touch with her sensations, her intimate sounds and her wild smells. She didn't think about work, family or even tomorrow. All she knew was that her body was interested in claiming as many orgasms as possible.

It felt like hours before they stopped. Sinag had already lost count of the times that she'd seen nothing but white and felt the sparks that reverberated throughout her body.

When she heard Iglap groan and then release his seed on her stomach, she was overcome by the greatest orgasm she'd ever experienced. Her beloved wiped it off using the bed sheet before lying down beside her. She didn't protest when he pulled her back into his tight and loving embrace.

Sinag closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep as the first rays of dawn peeked through the lace curtains. Iglap, content and happy, started to snore by her side.

Years later, Sinag and Iglap would deny to their family and friends that they stayed inside the hotel room for the rest of her vacation.

They'd only grin at each other, hold hands and remember that memory with burning cheeks. Neither of them felt the need to explain how they got together.

After two children and five years of marriage, they checked into Amami Resort in White Beach, Puerto Galera for a second honeymoon and to reminisce about the night that they finally found each other.

Sinag and Iglap shared a kiss and a smile as they walked along the beach together at dawn.