Adrian rose before dawn as always, the forest still clinging to his skin from the night patrol. He'd changed into his human form by the time he reached the edge of Panganiban, hair tied loosely, shirt tucked but rumpled from the morning humidity. His satchel hung across his shoulder, full of notes and sketches. Today would be like every other: the steady walk to the research station, the hours bent over samples and soil. Quiet, controlled, ordinary.
Until a horn beeped.
He turned sharply.
Emma's car slowed beside him, her window already rolled down. Her hair was pulled back neatly, her white coat folded in the passenger seat. But her smile—that was unrestrained, bright in a way that made his chest ache.
"Hop in," she called, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Unless you want to be late."
Adrian blinked. "You… want me to—"
"Yes." She leaned her elbow on the window, grinning wider. "Carpool. Saves gas. Saves time. Don't make me beg."
For a moment, he stood frozen on the roadside, the sun rising behind him. He had faced storms and creatures darker than nightmares, but nothing rattled him like this—being wanted, pursued, asked.
She tapped the wheel impatiently. "Well? I don't have all day."
He climbed in.
The ride was short, only fifteen minutes from Panganiban to the station, but Adrian felt every second stretch. The air in the car was full of her humming, her laughter when a tricycle cut across them, the way she tapped the wheel like she owned the road.
"See?" she said when she pulled into the lot. "Easy. You're welcome."
He opened his mouth to thank her, but she was already unbuckling, her hair catching the sun like a halo. He followed her in silence, unsure of his footing.
By noon he'd buried himself in soil samples, trying to ignore the warmth still clinging to his skin from sitting beside her. He was elbow-deep in slides when her voice startled him.
"Hey."
He looked up. She stood at the door of the research lab, a lunch bag in hand, her smile as bright as it had been that morning.
"Join me for lunch?"
He blinked. "With you?"
Her brows lifted. "Of course with me. Unless you're expecting someone else."
He shook his head quickly. "No. Just—"
"Great." She plunked the bag on the table. "Come on. Cafeteria's too noisy. I found a bench outside."
Adrian followed, still dazed, as she led him to a shaded spot beneath a talisay tree. She unpacked sandwiches, pandesal stuffed with corned beef and cheese, and handed one to him.
"You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to," she interrupted. "Eat."
He did. The bread was warm, the filling simple but comforting. He chewed in silence, but Emma talked enough for both of them—stories about a patient who insisted she was carrying twins when it was only gas, a nurse who swore coffee cured migraines, the stubbornness of hospital administrators.
And then, casually, she laughed and touched his arm, just a brush of her hand as if it meant nothing. Except to him it meant everything.
He swallowed hard, staring at her, but she only smiled and kept talking, as if she hadn't just undone him.
When work ended, Adrian thought he'd slip out quietly. He walked the familiar road back to Panganiban, grateful for the solitude.
But there she was, leaning against her car near the hospital entrance, arms crossed, the picture of a hunter waiting for her prey.
"Going my way?" she asked, tilting her head.
He stopped, wary. "I don't want to trouble you."
"Too late." She grinned. "I'd already be troubled if you said no."
He almost laughed, almost refused. But her eyes sparkled, and his resolve crumbled. He climbed into the passenger seat again, feeling absurdly like he'd been captured.
The drive was easy, filled with her chatter, her joy, her unfiltered happiness. Adrian sat beside her, confused and amazed. He had never been pursued, not like this. Women in town admired him, whispered about him, even flirted shyly. But Emma—Emma had decided to want him, and she went after him without hesitation.
And he didn't know how to breathe around it.
They reached the forest lane, the place where the village road ended and the trees began. Emma slowed, headlights washing over the tall trunks.
"This is you, right?" she asked softly.
He nodded, already reaching for the door handle. "Thank you for the ride."
"Anytime," she said, her voice light. And then, before he could move, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek.
It was quick, a brush, but it left fire in its wake.
Adrian froze. The warmth of her lips lingered, searing. He turned slowly, eyes locking on hers. She smiled, shy but glowing.
Something inside him broke open.
He reached for her, cupping her face with both hands, and kissed her the way he had wanted to for years—not out of anger, not from frustration, but with reverence. Soft at first, then deeper as she answered him.
Her hands fluttered against his chest before settling, clutching his shirt. Her lips trembled against his, uncertain but willing, and he knew instantly: she had never done this before.
Oddly, that steadied him. It reassured him. She had waited, even unknowingly. She was his first love as much as he was hers, and something about that symmetry felt like destiny had not cheated him.
When they pulled apart, both were breathless.
"Goodnight, Emma," he whispered, his thumb brushing her cheekbone.
She nodded, lips swollen, eyes bright. "Goodnight."
He stepped out of the car, disappearing into the trees, his heart pounding like a drum he could not silence.
Emma sat in the driver's seat, staring at the forest long after he vanished, her fingers pressed to her lips. She laughed softly, almost in disbelief, and whispered to herself:
"Finally."