Merry Christmas!

Dahil miss na miss ko na ang Kimerald sa primetime....

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The last thing she remembered was falling into the arms of the only person that she loved the most. Now that she gained back her consciousness, she opened her eyes and was taken aback by what she saw first.

Gerald was there, by the bedside and must have fallen asleep. He was sitting on a chair and his head was resting on the little space left of the bed. Kim sighed at the sight of him and her heart pounded once again but this time, not with nervousness or anything for that matter but with some kind of warmth. Here they were, in one place and only alone by themselves and it felt too comfortable. In fact, the feeling was familiar. Five years had done nothing to alter the fact that Gerald was really that close to her heart and how much she felt at home with him around.

She looked at him smiling, as memories flooded her heart. She recalled the magic of first hearing people link their names. Kim and Gerald or Kimerald as their fans would fondly call them. They have been inseparable since then and had grown close in time but her smile soon faded when she remembered that she had put their friendship to the risk when she fell in love with him. There were times when she had blamed herself for that romantic weakness, if only she hadn’t fallen in love with him, they would still be friends like what things were supposed to be. They were still friends now but she could not deny that there were things that had changed because of what had happened before and yet, in spite of everything that’s been said and done, deep in her heart, she just knew that she still felt the same thing for her best friend.

Gerald was still the one.

And that scared her.

“Kim? Thank God you’re awake.” The sound of Gerald’s voice broke her trance. Worry and concern was simply evident in his face. “How do you feel? Okay ka lang ba?”

Kim tried to look away and closed her eyes.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” She said and tried with all her might to stand up.

“Don’t force yourself to stand up yet. You need to rest some more.” Gerald said as he guided her back to the bed.

“Okay na ako. Kaya ko na…” Kim insisted but only managed to make a step or two and then felt dizzy once again. Gerald was quick to the rescue and caught her arms.

Their eyes met once again.

“I told you.” Gerald scooped her up and made her lie down once again.

Kim didn’t have the strength to even argue but even if she did, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Being in the arms of Gerald was where she feels safe and secured.

“I need to go home…” She said afterwards.

Gerald smiled sheepishly. “You are home.” He answered.

Kim looked around and it was only then she realized that she was in fact, in her very own room. What made her think she was someplace else? Having Gerald around made her feel at home but did it also made her lose her senses that she didn’t even recognized her own bedroom?

Kim didn’t know what to say.

“Just in case you didn’t know, you passed out at ABS, I brought you to the clinic but the doctor’s advise was to bring you home and make you rest for at least a couple of days so here we are…”

Kim closed her eyes and remembered the events that happened before. She had not been feeling well since this morning but forced herself to go to work but eventually, her fever gave in but if there’s one good thing to it, Gerald was by her side when she passed out and she could not be any grateful to him for being there and for bringing her home.

“Thank you.” She said with her heart. “Sorry naabala pa kita.”

“You’re more than welcome at sinabi ko naman sayo di’ba, I have all day and never kang naging abala sa akin. I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else right now.” Gerald placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Kim blushed and deep in her heart, she hoped that Gerald didn’t notice it. Why was this man getting sappy all over again?

“You need to take your medicine but before that, you need to eat. What would you like?”

She shook her head. “Wala akong gana.”

“You have to eat whether you like it or not, Kimmy. Susubuan naman kita eh. Anong gusto mo?” Gerald smiled.

“You don’t have to do it but thank you.”

“I insist. What would you like?”

“I don’t know…”

“I think I know what you would like.” Gerald smiled knowingly. He had always known that Kim had a craving for bananas and catsup. That was something that he had also gotten used to and without Kim’s knowledge, he had also been eating bananas with catsup even when he was in the States. It was during those “banana with catsup eating sessions” that he felt in touch with Kim.

“Where are you going?” Kim asked when Gerald stood up.

“I’ll get you something to eat.”

“You know what, Ge. Pwede naman akong pumunta na lang sa kusina para dun na lang kumain eh.”

“No, you stay there. I’ll be right back. Hindi ka pwedeng mapagod, okay? Wag nang matigas ang ulo Kimmy.” Gerald spoke to her in a very authoritative tone.

Kim couldn’t help but smile. Gerald was actually taking care of her, really taking good care of her. She was used to this kind of treatment from him back then but now, it all felt different....

“Akala ko ba, engineer ka…bakit naging nurse ka yata ngayon?” She said, consciously injecting a bit of sarcasm in her voice so as not to give herself away.

“I can be anything you want or need me to be.” Gerald winked playfully. He then went out of the door.

When Kim was sure that Gerald was well on his way to the kitchen, she let out all the kilig that she felt since the time she woke up. She even bit the corner of her pillow to suppress herself from screaming. If any day could be like this and if Gerald would always be the one to take care of her, she just might as well pretend that she has a permanent case of flu or something to have him constantly by her side.

A few minutes later…

“Ang bango naman niyan.” Kim said when Gerald went back to her room with a bowl of arrozcaldo. “Si Ate Tata ba ang nagluto?”

“Umalis si Ate Tata at may pinuntahan lang sandali.” Gerald answered, taking the seat by the side of the bed.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yup! Ako ang nagluto pero ikaw ang kakain…” He then spooned some of the food and started to feed Kim.

“Marunong ka na pala magluto ngayon?”

“Dati naman di ba and when I was in the States, I was used to doing things on my own. O sige, kain lang ng kain, Kimmy ha? You need to finish this up before you drink your meds.”

“Gerald naman eh. Ang dami kaya nyan. I can’t eat it all.” Kim worriedly declared.

“Ah hindi pwede. You have to eat this and pagkatapos, may dessert ka pa.”

Kim wasn’t able to finish all the arrozcaldo but Gerald succeeded in making her eat at least half of it. The dessert that he was talking about was nothing but a banana with catsup that Kim had always loved. She felt like crying because she had never thought that Gerald would still remember that.

“Ge, thank you ha?” She said after eating.

“Nag thank you ka na sa akin kanina pa but again, you’re most welcome.” Gerald said, as he smiled at her warmly.

Kim glanced at the small clock in her room. Realizing that it was already half past seven, Kim turned to Gerald.

“Baka pagod ka na…pwede mo na naman akong iwan eh. Okay na ako. I mean…”

Before Kim could even finish her words, Gerald cut her mid sentence.

“I will never get tired of taking care of you but I know that you also need to get some sleep kaya aalis na din ako.”

“Salamat ulit.” Kim directed him a timid smile.

That was all she could say. What was she supposed to tell him anyway?

“Get well soon, Kim.” Gerald surprised her with a soft kiss on the forehead and a gentle caress on her hair.

Kim stiffened but Gerald felt really wonderful having been able to take good care of her and having spent practically the whole day with Kim.

“Ingat sa pag drive, okay?” She said without looking at him, afraid that if she did, she would be too obvious that she was giddy with happiness.

“I will. Thank you.” Gerald turned around and turned the door knob but stopped and then turned to face Kim once again. “Thank you.”

Kim was confused. “For what?”

“I just wanted to thank you.”

“Ah okay…and Ge, kumain ka na muna bago umalis okay?”

Gerald’s smile widened. “Sige.”

“Sige.”

“Goodnight, Kimmy.”