Chapter 8

Rose looked at Ryan who's panicking with a weird expression and then looked at her brother coming out of the bathroom with a laughing face . Rose smiled seeing him laughing and clapped her hands along with him . Then Gab suddenly started coughing . Rose froze and immediately gave him her cup of water and patted his back .

Gab tightened the fold on his towel and rubbed Rose's head before entering the house . There he saw Ryan busy sweeping the floor , clearly trying to divert his attention .

Gab's eyes bent into a crescent moon and passed by him . He could feel the man's body turning stiff when he passed by . In reality , Ryan stiffened not because of nervousness , but because of excitement . Gab smelled so good that he's afraid he would pounce on him without ay notice .

When Gab climbed upstairs , Ryan stopped his movements and stared at his bare back with burning eyes . Ryan has not experienced rolling in the sheets before and as an adult man , he would naturally feel curious about it . Now that he has a wife already , why would he supress his instinct?

Still , he should savor the taste of being a married man before completely eating his dish . Gab might get surprised if he hastened his advances .

Slowly ...

Get his approval first and earn his love .

Also , put more flesh on his butt and waist . He's so bony it'll not feel good when doing it . Ryan suddenly blushed and slapped himself. 

At night , Gab and Ryan became awkward again . Remembering the posture they woke up into , the couple blushed and covered their faces like shy maidens .

Gab's calm face cracked as he unconsciously wanted to smile stupidly . He immediately covered his jaw and bit his lower lip . Ryan similarly did cover his mouth and lowered his head .

" L-let's sleep.  " Ryan

" Ok "

Then the two awkwardly crawled to the bed and tucked themselves inside the quilt and faced each other . Their faces turned more scarlet as time passed by . Gab couldn't endure it anymore and turn his back to Ryan not daring to show him his crimson face as red as tomato .

The two then closed their eyed to sleep . In the middle of the night , Ryan draw Gab's body within his embrace and touched Gab's waist habitually . Gab turned to face his human heater and hugged Ryan's waist similarly . Like last night , the two cuddled again like a pair of old couple .

While hugging Ryan , Gab suddenly had a dream . He's dreaming that he's hugging his idol , Louis Partridge. Louis' body is so warm and hard . Gab touched his abdominal muscles and gulped in envy.  He also has this kind of abs before . Gab suddenly felt determined to harvest grains again tomorrow .

Ryan's eyelashes flattered and slowly open . He looked down on his abdomen and suddenly flushed red . He looked at his posture and realized he's hugging Gab again . 

Ryan stared at his face and realized how good looking he was, now that he started developing more flesh on his face . Ryan extended his hands and traced the boy's long black lashes , and attractive soft brows . As he remembered , this boy has a pair of beautiful obsidian eyes with specks of gold and blue giving him a unique and captivating gaze . His eye shape is also unique .

The ends were upturned , sharp , fierce yet captivating . Gab however is still a young boy and his facial features has yet to mature but one could clearly fall into a conclusion that this young boy will become a fatale in the future .

Gab's lips before were chapped and dry . Ryan stared carefully at his lips and thought to himself that he has to make this boy drink glasses of water to stay hydrated. 

Early in the morning , the two opened their eyes . Gab sighed in relief seeing as he didn't get into his embrace . He was oblivious that Ryan was actually already awake . Seeing as he is going to wake up , Ryan immediately turned his back to him .

Gab sat up and stretched his limbs before washing up . This monotonous lifestyle was so peaceful to him that he started liking this kind of lifestyle .

The trio ate a simple breakfast of fried fish , eggs , rice , milk and fruits . As the family only has three members , they easily get full .

When they finished eating their breakfast , Rose volunteered to wash the dishes and clean the house.  Gab and Ryan rubbed Rose's head again before stepping out as they sway their sickles in the air .

Their speed was so fast , faster than four farmers combined . The sun shines brightly in the sky , unlike the weather Gab woke up to where snakes of lightning could be seen and the thatched house were leaking of water . Gab felt energized and his harvesting efficacy turned high as he's becoming more and more profecient as time passed by . Unfortunately , Gab gained a lot of blisters and cuts after the harvest .

By the time lunch came , he and Ryan already finished harvesting most of the field in the rice field . In this ancient times people has not invented milling or hulling machines for grains yet. Villagers often husk rice by pounding them in a traditional way.  Gab often saw this when he and his family visited the mountains. He often watched his dad pounding rice then separating husks by tossing .

The first time he tossed husked rice , all the rice flew along with the husk wasting a lot of rice and made his mother and father feel angry at him . It was just too cool to see his mom tossing the pounded grains expertly while not letting a single rice to escape out to the air but despite not mastering the tossing technique , at least his attention was diverted when his dad started pounding grains .

Ryan and Gab could be seen pounding grains on a big wooden mortar and giant pestles . They alternately pounded in rythm and as time passed they gradually feel more closer with each other .This kind of activity also makes him and his family grew more closer so it's no wonder that it also happened to them , husbands. 

" Are you tired? " Ryan paused and looked at the sweaty Gab .

Gab panted and slowly nodded before wiping his jaw dripping sweats . Gab released the pestle and wiped his face . Ryan helped and took out a soft fabric to wipe his face . Gab subconsciously stopped and let Ryan do it . Then , he suddenly blushed when Ryan also wiped his neck and collar bone .

He suddenly remembered his mother , when the apocalypse came , his mother was still abroad . They never met each other again since he was 12 years old . In their family , he was the eldest and the only son . He also inherited his dad's smart brain and 1/4 spanish genes . He's moderately handsome , enough to be labeled equal to the ulzzang boys on the internet. His mother was a typical mother , who scolded him when he makes mistakes , ordered him to lift up gallons of water and help his father water the farm. 

He also part timed learning his father's cooking . Their family has sweet teeth and most of their dishes often has sugar in it . His most favorite simple dish was the japanese dry ramen mixed with sardines then seasoned it with salt and sugar , another one was Adobong Papaya ( still sweet ) , Adobong Kangkong , Adobong Talong (eggplant) , Adobong Batong ( String Beans ) , Sweet Kalabasa (Squash/Pumpkin) With Sardines , Ramen with Cornbeef etc.

Memories after memories flashed across his mind , such as how his mother flew back from Manila back to Bohol just to hang his medals on the graduation day.  His mom also proudly recorded him singing tribute songs as he graduated in elementary school . Followed him to a neighboring school when he was chosen to participate in a singing contest , Quiz Bees , and followed him go different provinces to do solo in the choir etc.

His mom also beat him intensely when she heard he was about to court a young girl and loudly shouted to the whole neighborhood how flirtatious her son was to start courting young ladies at a very young age . She even threathened him to disown him if he ever brought back a woman with big belly .

His life back then was so ordinary and simple until the apocalypse came . He never saw his mom again when he was still a first year high school student on the 2nd semester of the school year . She was working abroad in UAE like an ox without being given a day off . He even occasionally heard that his mom acquired bruises when her lady boss got enraged and wanted to vent her anger on her . Their life was so poor but they still have happy times .

Her mom once said to him . " I am doing this for your own good , kuya . "

( kuya - big brother , in the Philippines . Parents often call their eldest son/daughter Kuya/Ate . Just like how people in other countries call Eldest Child to the eldest son/daughter . )

" Do you remember how we only have black coffee as our dish to be combined with rice? How we only ate rice mixed with salt , oil and soy sauce and even just a simple salted lugaw ? "

( Lugaw - porridge )

" You don't want that life right? That's why I'm here in abroad working in order to earn money for you guys to properly eat delicious foods . "

Kriza , Gab's mother cried and sheds tears . " I'm so sorry . I'm so sorry I did finished my study . Your mom is uneducated and doesn't have formal job . "

" I'm so sorry to have given you such poor life . "

" You know I'm an imperfect mom to you guys , but please work hard in your homework for me ok? Don't stop your study and make my future grandsons suffer because of poverty.  "

" Don't copy us.  "

That's the last heartfelt message his mom said to him before the apocalypse came . He had just recieved a certificate as an outstanding student back then but it was all ruined by the single descent of the catastrophe .

Ryan paused his movements and noticed that Gab was thinking something . Ryan stared at him and noticed an almost unnoticeable melancholy  coating his eyes . He seems to be remembering something in his past .

Did his actions reminded him of something in his past?

Ryan slowly blinked and hugged Gab.  He could feel that Gab wasn't in a good mood right now and needed someone to accompany him .

This boy is still young , yet he was already separated from his parents at a very young age . Their life must have never been easy .

" You've worked hard . "

Gab closed his eyes and started sobbing . He bit his lips and hugged Ryan back . Gab didn't expect that he still has emotions to miss his family in his past life . He was famous for being the most powerful and ruthless warrior in their base , yet when his life took a drastic change and found himself in a peaceful rural life , he couldn't help reminiscing his past before the apocalypse came causing his stone heart to break down from just a single reminiscent .

Gab hugged Ryan , and although his mother and Ryan's hug weren't the same . Hugging still makes person release his stress and feel secure . As a child , he was always a mother's child , he likes his mom's hug , kiss and indulgence.  Gab felt a little ridiculous , longing for such maternal warmth when he's clearly already an adult. 

Ryan wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and sat down on a bench . Gab wrapped his legs around Ryan's waist like a baby coala and buried his head in the nook of his neck.  He felt tired , and wants a warm embrace.  Ryan's hug makes him feel secure and loved , so he couldn't help becoming more greedy for it.  " Don't let go! "

Ryan immediately tightened his hug and patted his back . Gab sighed and relaxed his muscles before falling asleep within his arms .

Ryan subconsciously thought . ' Gab is still a boy , he needs love . '

Ryan sniffed the boys fragrant body and kissed her earlobe . ' Then let your husband love you more . '