In Another Universe

Mag-usap Tayo II - (Grace x Mar)

Part II and Last Part

Author's Note:
Remember fiction lang po lahat ito. 🤣 Medyo tambak sa school works but I'll try my best to update. Tysm sa reads at votes! You can drop your request and I'll try my best to write them. Let me know your thoughts.
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"Secretary Mar, ano po ang maipaglilingkod ko sa inyo? Hindi ho ba ito makapag-hihintay katatapos lang po ng election. " She said this while staring at the secretary, who was standing by the door, not moving.

Mar walked towards her table. His expression was unreadable, but all his emotions showed up when he stood in front of her table. She could see that he was calm and at peace. There was a faint glow around him.

"Pareho tayong natalo." He said, and she wanted to roll her eyes. Why was he stating the obvious? Grace analyzed him. He was not wearing his usual yellow polo; instead, a simple white polo was tucked into his pants.

"Nasa balita naman ho iyan, Secretary. Ano ho bang sadya ninyo kasi marami pa po akong kailangang asikasuhin." She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to stare at him.

"Bakit?" Mar asked. She knows what he's talking about. It's about his call for unity.

"Hindi pwedeng talikuran ko ang mga taong nagtitiwala sa akin at bigla akong aatras sa laban tulad ng gusto niyong mangyari ng partido niyo." Grace said that, and Mar laughed and then shook his head.

"Sino bang nagsabi na kakausapin kita para magbigay daan sa akin?" Mar said, and Grace was ready with her rebuttal but stopped at what she heard. She looked at him, "Ano pala, ikaw ang magbibigay daan?"

"Oo, handa akong magback-out at magbigay daan para sa iyo." Mar admitted avoiding Grace's gaze. She was taken aback by his revelation, but she couldn't let her guard down yet. She raised her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest, "At bakit mo naman gagawin yon, Secretary? Parang kalokohan naman ata na kayong mga taga-Liberal pa ang magbibigay daan. Tao niyo nga ang tumitira sa akin patalikod eh."

Mar sighed, "Umalis na ako sa LP."

That shocked Grace because why would he leave the group backing him? He could see that she was shocked but trying to keep her straight face, "Mahirap naman atang paniwalaan na tatalikuran mo sila pati ang pangulo." she said plainly.

"Dalawa lang naman ang rason kung bakit ako magbibitiw. Una, natauhan ako. Tumakbo ako dahil gusto nila. Sa mga nakalipas na buwan, napagtanto ko na wala na ang puso ka dito. Napasok ako dito dahil kay Dinggoy, alam mo iyan. Si Dinggoy ang ginawa kong gabay sa mundo ng politika. Pero napagtanto ko na hindi pala para sa akin ang mundong ito." He looked down at himself, still standing in front of her desk, trying his best to fight his tears. Bringing Dinggoy up always makes him tear up, and she knows that. She was there with him when he held Dinggoy in his arms as he passed.

"Huli na, pero gusto ko nang magpahinga mula sa pulitika. Ngayong ganoon ang naging resulta, siguro oras na talaga. Nagawa ko naman na ang parte ko at sana ay sapat na iyo para kay Papa, Gerry, at sa mga mamamayan." His tears were at bay as he said those words. She knew how much his Dad and brother meant to him and how he wanted to continue their legacy, which she understood because when her dad died years after their breakup, she also wanted to continue the legacy he left behind.

Grace was fighting the urge to wipe his tears because she knew she would break down the walls that she had put around her heart when she did. She mentally cursed herself for still being affected by him.

"Pangalawa," Mar came to a halt and met her gaze before sadly smiling.

"Iba na kasi ang pangarap ko ngayon." She raised her eyebrow, not fond of his delays.

"Pangarap kong ibigin ka ulit." He said, and with just five words, Grace's heart started beating uncontrollably. Grace stood up, "Secretary, puwede bang huwag na tayong maglokohan dito."

She heard him heave a sigh before gazing at her once again, " Ano kayang nangyari kung hindi ako naging marupok? Kung hindi ako naniwala kaagad kay Maricar na akin ang bata? If I didn't let you go that easily, masaya kaya tayo ngayon?"

She was surprised when he mumbled those words. She couldn't talk because everything was overwhelming for her, and she was barely halfway through this day. At that moment, she felt like the world was revolving around them once again.

Mar went behind her desk and stood before her, towering over her. Mar smirked at her and bowed his head "26 years na ang lumipas, Grace. Walang nagbago, ikaw pa rin." Mar confessed

"Hindi naman ako nagkamali na hindi akin yung bata pero huli na ang lahat. Nawala ka na sa akin. Sinubukan kitang sundan sa states, pero nung nakita kong maayos ka, hindi na kita ginulo pa." He narrated, his tears forming once again as he looked at Grace, who was still trying to compose herself. "Nung bumalik ka mula sa states, hindi ako nawalan ng pag-asa na baka puwede pa. Kahit sa malayo patuloy kitang minamahal at umaasa na baka pagtagpuin ulit tayo ng tadhana. Baka may chance pa na mahalin ka ulit. " He said, as he held her face.

"Mahal kita, Grace. Pinagsisisihan ko lahat ng nagawa ko sa iyo noon at sana pwede pa, sana ako pa. "He pointed at her chest. When she placed her palm over his, he was about to let go of her face and prepare for the inevitable rejection. She was crying. She didn't care that her tears were flowing down her cheeks as she finally got to wipe away his tears.

Were they finally setting themselves free from the memory of yesterday? From the nightmare of the past.

She smiled through her tears, she laughed because it took one confession from him to break the proverbial wall she spent most of her life building around her heart. It's still him. "Mahal pa rin kita, Mar." Those words escaping from her lips sounded heavenly to him. He didn't want to waste any more time because 26 years had been too long. He held her face and kissed her.

Maybe time stopped when his lips met hers, but the flutter in his stomach only intensified. A pounding in his chest accompanied the weakening of Grace's knees. He could only concentrate on how pleasant it was to have her lips against his and how completely she engulfed his senses. How the sensation of that kiss is both new and familiar all at once.

It still wasn't clear if he dreamed this moment to life, but he savored the moment just in case it was. In order to be sure this wasn't a figment of his imagination, Mar kept his eyes half-open and peeked at her every time he came back for air, just to make sure. Her lips remained as soft as he remembered them to be, even after all these years.

They stood in that spot, kissing each other. Afraid that this was all a product of their imaginations. When they both pulled away, they pressed their foreheads against each other and smiled.

"Let's pick up where we left off," Grace said, as their foreheads continued to touch.

"Mukhang dalawang press conference ang kailangan nating gawin ngayong araw. Isang pang concede at isang pagdedeclare na landslide pa rin ako sa puso mo." Mar said, and Grace playfully rolled her eyes.

"Sa daming beses mo akong inalok na makipag-usap sa 'yo, ito lang ang maganda ang kinalabasan." Grace joked as Mar kissed her temple before chuckling.

It didn't bother them in the slightest that volunteers, staff, and the media were staring at them in confusion as they exited her office holding hands.

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🤍💛 :))