Aladin woke up happy.

It was a satisfied feeling to wake up like this. He stretched his legs, groaning in his throat. Wow his neck felt tingly from all the times Flo kissed him there. Took this. Did that. Made him go insane.

Last night was amazing.

He remembered kissing Florante's jaw and brushing his fingers against his stomach. To the places his father hit him. To the places hate was swung.

And Florante rolled his eyes and smiled at him. "See, mahal? ((love)) These are for you."

"I did not want you to get hurt."

"I would get hurt everyday for you."

Aladin sighed and rolled to the right.

Florante.

Florante was right there.

It was a struggle to keep quiet that night. Quiet so no one else found out about them.

A secret love.

Maybe not so secret.

Aladin chewed his lip. Flo looked so peaceful like this, lips puffy pink and parted slightly. Honey tan skin peeking underneath the white covers, his chest littered with pink marks (some of them bitten there), and his hair tousled. Tousled in all the right ways.

Topless.

More than topless.

Aladin bit back another sigh. Sultan Ali-Adan knew. Florante took three punches for him.

He was here.

He was here in his bed, but this time no longer shying away. Aladin knew Flo came in every night to hold him. He separated himself before dawn almost by instinct.

But not this time.

This time he was so close Aladin could kiss his collarbone. And he did. And Florante did not stir, and that was okay.

Aladin lingered.

The Golden Boy loves me.

Florante loves me.

He swooned.

It was one of the things Flo kept repeating last night. And it felt so unreal. It felt so perfect. The burn and the easy slide—but Florante didn't hurt him. Not in ways he couldn't prevent.

It was muttered between whispers and groans of his name or cuss words. It was a chant itself.

"I love you, Aladin. I love you. I love you."

Aladin kept kissing Flo. He wasn't awake and he was not sure if it was strange. But it was like he couldn't stop. He kissed his chest and his cheek and his forehead and pecks on the lips.

Flo's eyes fluttered open.

Aladin smiled.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning to you," Florante said back. He sat up to roll his shoulders, stretching his arms as he yawned. Aladin watched him move, too.

So perfect in the morning light.

So perfect.

So Florante.

Last night seemed still to have its drowsy effect on them. The drowsy happy effect that made them both feel incredibly satisfied.

"Enjoy the view?" Flo teased. He touched Aladin's cheek and it felt so right.

He rolled his eyes. "Do not be arrogant."

"It was a question." Florante's eyes flickered down. Aladin blushed and covered himself.

He cannot believe the words he said.

He cannot believe the things he's done and the sounds he made and all the things that had happened.

But it was real.

Him and I are real.

"Are you okay?" Florante asked, leaning against the wall. He patted his lap. "Lie here."

"You are naked."

"So?"

Aladin blushed. But he did. He lies down on Florante's lap and his hands went straight through his hair, caressing and smoothing and braiding.

"Are you alright?" Florante insisted one more time.

"Why do you ask?" Aladin reached for his other hand, tracing his fingers and memorizing the callouses and the beauty he was possessed with. "Of course I am."

Florante was quiet for a while. "Did it . . . did it hurt?"

Aladin really blushed now. "Oh, uh—"

"I have never . . . done it with anybody else," Florante stammered. It seems that they were both shy about it. "I was simply—"

He cleared his throat. "I know what you mean, Flo."

"So you are—"

"Yes. I am alright."

"Good."

Aladin stared up at him. He stared back.

"Huwag ka na manganib," Florante chimed. "Sumapaya ka't mag-aliw ng dibdib."

(("do not be afraid. be happy and ease your heart."))

Aladin snorted. "You and your poetry," he whispered.

"Ngayon ay ligtas ka na sa lahat ng sakit." Florante pinched his cheek lightly. And his fingers brushed along his lips. Aladin grinned. "May kalong sa iyo ang nagtatangkilik."

(("you are now safe from all harm. i hold you, and i want to help."))

((an: this is... actually in the book.))

"It is early for us to be awake," Aladin said. "Perhaps we could . . ."

Florante's easy smile spread slowly. "Could . . . ?"

"Oh, do not make me say it."

"I have heard you say numerous things."

"Flooo!"

Florante sighed. "God, I love you."

"I know."

Flo hit his arm. "Hey!"

Aladin giggled. He sat up and put a hand on his shoulder. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Florante closed his eyes. "Say it again."

"You are strange." Aladin kissed his cheek.

"You are annoying." He pulled him closer.

"That is not what you said last night," Aladin teased. He blushed when Flo arched an eyebrow.

"Then what did I say?"

"I love you."

"Thank you. I love you, too."

~

Aladin found himself tangled with Florante on the bed.

They took a shower, because as much as they did love each other. . . . Things got sticky.

And they were together again.

And Florante's arms were wrapped around his waist, and they talked.

"When did you know?" Aladin asked. He played with Florante's fingers. They were so distinct, from the bone structure to the little wounds at the sides of his thumbs.

"Know of what?" Florante watched him. He occasionally pushed Aladin's hair back when it covered his eyes.

"Your affection. Your love."

Flo shrugged. "I have for quite a while now," he said. "I have loved you for a long time. But I only understood that recently."

"I see."

"You?"

Aladin blushed. He could not count the amount of times he had turned scarlet in his presence. "That day. In the forest."

Florante knew exactly what he was talking about. "Oh."

"You . . . you were there when no one else was," Aladin said softly. "You. Golden Boy."

He pinched Aladin's cheek. It was going to become another one of his quirks. "Golden Boy?"

"It is what I call you." Aladin laced his fingers through his. "It seemed fitting."

"You are so . . ." Flo shook his head. Gold hair fell in front of green eyes, and Aladin moved it away to see the joy in him.

"So?"

"Precious."

Aladin kissed his knuckles, bringing it to his lips. Like this was completely natural. Like both of them have only been waiting to do this, these three years.

"May I read the poems? The journal?" Florante asked softly.

Aladin's stomach dropped. He looked at Flo.

"I—I did not check if they were still there," he murmured. "I also don't . . . don't know how my father found them."

"Where did you hide them?"

"Underneath my mattress."

Flo rolled his eyes. "Forgive me—but that was a very obvious place to hide something so secret."

"Stupid, I know."

"Quite."

Aladin sighed as he stood. "I will check." He lifted the mattress slightly, to see if it was there. He doubted it. Surely, his father had torn it into shreds and shoved it into the furnace, hid it in the name of shame. Hid it because his son was disobeying their religion.

Hid it because he was . . . "disgusting."

Aladin couldn't believe that it was still there.

He felt himself blush dark red. Absolutely scarlet.

"It is there?"

"Yes." Aladin breathed in deeply. He looked at Florante's cheeky yet assuring smile. "You are sure . . . ?"

"Absolutely."

When Aladin leaned in to give him the notebook—his thoughts, his heart, his mind—Florante kissed his cheek.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"The love in your words. And your not broken heart." He took the journal from Aladin, holding it carefully.

Aladin sighed. "I do not want you to—"

"I will not."

Florante opened the first page.

Aladin scooted next to him. He tentatively rested his head on Flo's much broader shoulder, checking what he'd say. If he would shrug him off.

He didn't.

"That is not my best work," he murmured when Florante started giggling softly.

"I can see that."

"Hey!"

Aladin let him read. Florante read.

They were happy.

For now.

~

i think every two days is a good updating schedule, no? just wait for summer tho. just wAiT and i'm going to give y'all angsty updates every single day.

but this story isn't going to be so long. around 40k? 50k?

hehe. next chapter is going to be. . . ;)

leave a vote for FLORADIN! THAT DESERVES MORE ATTENTION!

~ cass xx