Florante did not know what to do now.

It sounded stupid. It sounded dumb as if it should have. Because he has been waiting for this—two years. He has been waiting for Aladin to tell him or for him to tell Aladin.

But right now they stared at each other in silence.

They sat face to face on the bed. Their feet were touching. They were just . . . staring.

Silence.

Florante didn't even know if he could have lit a candle.

It was almost solemn. So secret. Something that had to be kept only between them both. A secret moment hidden from the entire universe.

Aladin spoke first.

"Did you mean it?" he said softly. He tucked his hair behind his ear, and he was playing with the loose string of his favorite pillow. Gorgeous.

Florante tilted his head.

Aladin breathed in sharply. "Am I your everything?" he said it in a breathy whisper. Like he was shy. And Florante heard the blush in his voice.

"You . . ." And then his voice was trembling. "You are so—so much more than . . . that. I cannot even explain it."

Aladin was still.

Florante held his breath.

"What is beyond everything?" he whispered.

Florante slowly reached for him with a hand. He did not resist. He did not object. He did not move away from him. "I do not know," he said.

"What do you know?" Aladin met him halfway. The tips of their fingers touching, tentative. Through darkness. Through space in between. Florante could just make the silhouette of his nose, the sharpening edge of his jaw, the wavy hair.

Florante could always see him clearly.

Him.

In his heart. In his head. In his head when he thought of embarrassing scenarios.

Sometimes shameful.

Sometimes the scenarios made him anticipate. . . things. Had something in the pit of his stomach roaring. Had something that shot his nerves—down there—awake. And he could do nothing but please that ache in him, that building ache he satisfied in secret. Because he was too shameful. He could not bare his own actions.

But right now?

Florante had to admit none of it was like that.

He just wanted to hold Aladin.

He just wanted him to know he was not nothing.

He was not a waste. He was not pathetic. He was not worthless or stupid or useless or broken or anything else.

Aladin was, well, Aladin.

The most beautiful and caring boy in this galaxy and all the other distant ones.

Florante couldn't contain it any longer. "I know that I love you."

Aladin pounced.

Florante was so taken aback he couldn't even breathe.

"I love you," he said back. And Aladin held him down the way Florante always did to him. But he was gentle. He was being careful.

This was not the sparring grounds.

This was not training.

There was nobody to see them like this.

Florante reached up.

"I love you more than you will ever understand," Aladin said softly. He leaned into Florante's hand, pressing his cheek to his palm. "I love you."

"I love you," Florante said shakily. Because he could not believe this was happening. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

They stayed still.

Florante stared into his eyes. In the moonlight they looked silver and shining with tears. He was certain now. More certain than he had ever felt.

This was his world.

This was the world above him.

This was all the world he ever really needed.

Aladin seemed unstable. Florante sat up, and he let him. He gently pushed Aladin down onto the bed, knees on both sides of his hips.

This was so secret.

But Florante . . . he just felt shy about all of this.

He ran a hand through Aladin's hair. Silky soft. Silky soft and ran like waves when his fingers crossed.

"May I kiss you?" Florante asked softly.

But his heart was racing.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

FLORANTE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Aladin's lips were just so inviting. They looked so soft. They looked so delicate in the light, in the secret of this.

Not . . . really a secret. Not to Sultan. But he would ignore that.

Florante took what he could have.

Aladin.

Every little piece of him deserved to be appreciated.

"Please," Aladin sighed.

Florante could not stop himself. One word. One word and he had tunnel vision. One word and he was smiling so wide it reached his eyes. One word and he forgot about the entire world.

One word and he forgot anything else existed.

Florante did not want to startle him. He leaned down to put his lips on his forehead. See what he would say. Aladin sighed.

"Lips, Flo. Lips."

Florante swooned. He seized Aladin by the front of his shirt and pulled him close.

He had never kissed anyone before.

Florante realized that fact too late.

He did not know how to kiss.

I do not know how to kiss.

It was awkward. It was an awkward first kiss where both of them didn't know how to move. Where both of them didn't know how long they must stay together, and their noses bump at first. And their lips are barely touching because Florante's mind is blank.

Aladin giggles when he pulls away slightly. "Flo? Are you okay?" His breath smells sweet and warms his lips.

"Nervous," he mutters.

"Tilt your head," Aladin says. "I think? And . . . and take it slow."

Florante did. He tilted his nose so their noses wouldn't bump. He kissed Aladin again.

When their lips touched, Florante felt alive.

Aladin was so soft. Softer than he'd ever imagine. Softer than he expected and softer than he was prepared for and so soft he felt dizzy. Surreal. He closed his eyes and they were moving together, lips touching and exchanging breathing and gasping for air.

But this was Aladin.

Aladin was humming. He was whining. He was telling Florante how to move his head. He was kissing him. And muttering "I love you"s in between because their kisses were getting better and heated and everything he has ever wanted.

Everything.

I am kissing him.

I am kissing Aladin.

Florante pulled away.

Aladin was breathless, lips pink and puffy. He was panting, chest rising up and down in a fast rhythm. Aladin whimpered, and his eyes were still closed, and he was reaching up for him.

For Florante.

With his lips. Searching for his.

"Florante," he groaned. "Flooo!"

Florante gulped. His pants felt tight and uncomfortable. He licked his lips. "What do you want?"

Aladin gulped. "I . . ."

He waited.

And it was like something clicked. Florante leaned down to bring his earlobe between his teeth. It just felt right. It just felt . . . good. "Say it," he whispered breathily.

Aladin groaned. And there was a hunger to his voice when he spoke. "You, Flo. Please."

Florante felt that roaring feeling in the pit of his stomach. "This?" he whispered. He touched Aladin there and here and where his hands could reach, marveling at his reactions. Eyes shut and God those sounds. Sinful.

"Yes," Aladin hissed.

Florante gave.

He gave.

And gave.

And gave.

And gave.

The entire night.

~

hehehehe cliffhangers! bc! oh! why not!

FRANCISCO BALAGTAS BALTAZAR IS SCREAMING IN HIS GRAVE.

i MEAN, COME ON, deciding that two characters be in a forest for six years? (this was actually in flo at lau). without any? fuckin? context? WYD !

leave a vote for floradin and feedback bc i have a test for filipino i gotta study for and SWEETIE has t o g o

~ cass xx