Chapter 1: I Know Places
Chapter Text
Soren sat silently on the highest seat of the school gymnasium, his fingers steady as he captured a photo of Jace in action—setting the ball effortlessly for their teammates.
Jace had the kind of athletic build that made every movement look natural, fluid, and captivating. Soren could watch him for hours, lost in the way his body moved with ease and precision.
Lost in the view, Soren didn’t notice Jace waving at him, flashing a bright smile directly at the camera. What a beautiful subject indeed, Soren thought, lowering his phone only to see Jace still grinning at him.
Practice wrapped up earlier than usual, giving them more time than expected.
"Ang aga mo yata ngayon?" Jace asked as he dried his hair with a towel, fresh from his shower. His damp bangs clung slightly to his forehead, and the scent of his shampoo lingered in the air.
"Ah, wala gaanong ginawa sa kinaiya, nagbigay lang ng assignment yung teacher sa club namin," I said nonchalantly as I grabbed my things.
"Tara na ba?" I asked, glancing at him while slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Kaya ba you're taking photos again? Didn’t you just buy another camera? Why are you using your phone?" mahaba niyang litanya, sabay kuha ng tuwalya para punasan ang natitirang tubig sa batok niya.
I scrunched up my face, not in the mood to answer his endless questions. "Ang dami mong tanong. Bilisan mo na, gutom na ‘ko."
Natawa lang siya bago kunin ang gamit niya. "Always so impatient, Soren. Paano mo nagagawang steady yung kamay mo habang nagpi-picture?" pang-aasar niya, sabay akbay sa’kin habang naglalakad kami.
I playfully elbowed him before heading to the parking lot where my car was parked. "Where are we eating?" I asked while unlocking the door.
Jace stretched his arms, tossing his bag into the backseat. "Dunno. Somewhere cozy?"
I smirked, already knowing the answer before he even finished speaking. "I got it," I said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
He raised a brow as he settled beside me. "You always do," he said with a small laugh. "I swear, you read my mind sometimes."
"Not hard to guess," I shrugged, starting the engine. "You always crave the same things."
Jace chuckled, leaning back comfortably. "Well, you always take me to the right place, so no complaints."
I shot him a glance before pulling out of the lot. "Of course. I know you too well."
As soon as they sat down, Jace stretched his arms, finally feeling the exhaustion from practice. “Damn, I’m starving,” he muttered, flipping through the menu. “What’s good here?”
Soren barely glanced at the menu, already knowing what to suggest. “You’ll like the grilled herb chicken,” he said casually. “Comes with roasted vegetables and garlic butter rice. Maybe start with the wild mushroom soup?”
Jace nodded right away. “Sounds perfect. I’ll get that.” He tapped the table lightly before glancing at Soren. “What about you?”
Soren handed his menu back to the waiter without hesitation. “Garden pesto pasta,” he answered smoothly. “And stuffed bell peppers.” He took a slow sip from his glass. “Might as well add the spinach and avocado salad.”
Jace raised a brow. “That’s a lot of greens.”
Soren just gave a small shrug. “Masarap naman.”
The waiter jotted down their orders before leaving. A brief silence settled between them, the air carrying the faint scent of basil and jasmine from the surrounding plants.
Jace leaned back, taking a deep breath. “This place is nice,” he admitted, letting his gaze wander. “You always pick the best spots.
“Well, they just opened last week,” Soren said, glancing around the softly lit garden. “I checked it out once, thought it was nice, so now I brought you.”
Jace hummed in approval, leaning on the table as he took in the surroundings. “Good call. The vibe’s relaxing.” He exhaled, finally feeling the tension from practice ease. “And it smells amazing. I’m excited for the food.”
Soren smirked. “For once, you’re not just excited to eat, but for the food itself?”
Jace rolled his eyes but grinned. “Shut up. I appreciate good food.”
Their conversation was interrupted when their drinks arrived—Jace’s fresh calamansi iced tea and Soren’s cucumber lemon water. Jace took a big sip, sighing in satisfaction. “Sarap. I could drink this all day.”
Soren, on the other hand, simply stirred his drink. “Good. You’ll need something refreshing after all that running around.”
“Bro, I didn’t just run around—I carried the whole game,” Jace said, feigning offence.
Soren chuckled, resting his cheek on his hand as he watched Jace. “Sure, sure. We’ll see if you can still lift your fork when the food gets here.”
Their day ended with Jace fast asleep in Soren’s passenger seat, his head slightly tilted to the side, completely knocked out from their heavy dinner. Now parked in front of Jace’s condo building, Soren remained still, unable to bring himself to wake him—not when Jace looked so peaceful like this.
He reached for his newly bought camera, quietly adjusting the settings before snapping a photo. The soft glow of the streetlights framed Jace’s face perfectly, highlighting his relaxed expression. Soren stared at the image on the screen, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Too perfect," he muttered under his breath, leaning back against his seat.
He knew he should wake Jace up soon. But for now, he allowed himself just a few more moments of this quiet, fleeting scene.
Soren sighed, resting his camera on his lap as he turned to Jace once more. His chest rose and fell steadily, lips slightly parted, brows relaxed—completely different from his usual energetic self. It was rare to see Jace this still, this quiet.
"If you were always like this, I might enjoy your company even more," Soren muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a small chuckle.
After a few more moments, he finally reached out and tapped Jace’s shoulder. "Hey, wake up. We’re here."
Jace stirred, groaning softly as he rubbed his eyes. "Huh? Did I fall asleep?" His voice was thick with sleep, making Soren chuckle.
"Obviously," Soren replied, unlocking the doors. "And I let you because I couldn’t bring myself to wake you up."
Jace snorted as he stretched, still sluggish. "What do you mean?"
"Never mind," Soren smirked, watching Jace blink at him in confusion. "Come on, or you’ll end up spending the night in my car."
Yawning, Jace unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his bag. "Thanks for dinner, Soren."
"Yeah, yeah. Now get out before I change my mind and charge you for the food."
Jace laughed, stepping out of the car before turning back for a second. "Drive safe."
Soren simply nodded, waiting until Jace disappeared inside the building. Only then did he exhale, running a hand through his hair.
His gaze dropped to his camera, the image of Jace’s sleeping face still on the screen. His usual smirk softened, something unspoken flickering in his eyes.
"Goodnight, Jace."
With that, he started the engine and drove off into the night.
Soren never wanted to be this close to Jace. Despite liking him, he preferred to admire him from a distance, where he could control the longing, the obsession. But fate had a cruel sense of humour. One small accident, a moment of carelessness, and suddenly, he was no longer a shadow in Jace’s life—he was in his orbit.
Was it his fault? Was it wrong that fate decided to make his life this complicated?
Shaking off the thoughts, Soren entered his room and locked the door behind him. But instead of heading to his bed, he made his way to another door—a hidden one, blending seamlessly with the walls. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
The room was dark, the only light coming from the soft glow of a desk lamp. And there, surrounding him, were hundreds of photographs.
Jace’s face stared back at him from every angle. Baby pictures, school photos, candid moments from volleyball practice, even stolen snapshots of him inside his car. Some were neatly arranged, others scattered across the walls, some pinned to a corkboard where Soren had written small notes beneath them.
"Jace winning his first MVP award."
"Jace laughing at something stupid I said."
Soren exhaled, running a hand through his hair as he stepped closer, his fingers ghosting over one of the photos—Jace smiling, completely unaware of the camera that had captured him.
He should feel guilty. He should feel sick. But he didn’t.
Instead, he smirked.
“Fate, huh?” he murmured, eyes locked onto Jace’s frozen image.
Maybe, just maybe, fate wasn’t so cruel after all.
Chapter 2: Heartless Stranger
Chapter Text
Soren’s night didn’t end there.
Take Jace home, say goodnight, and go to sleep?
What a joke.
It would sound more like him if—the one Jace never saw—was currently perched on the rooftop of a building next to the building next to Jace’s. Close enough to see, far enough to stay hidden.
He exhaled the last drag of his Marlboro Blue, the menthol burn of Snowbear still cooling his tongue. Flicking the cigarette to the ground, he crushed it under his boot before lighting another. The glow of the lighter briefly illuminated his face—sharp eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips.
And there it was
Lucky bastard.
From his vantage point, he saw it all. Jace, still flushed from dinner, grinning, leaning too close, fingers brushing against another body inside his unit. A laugh. A playful shove. The way Jace tilted his head, teasing, tempting.
So this was what Jace left his car for.
He should’ve expected this. Jace was Jace, after all. Too careless to close the curtains, too confident to care if anyone was watching.
Too fucking unaware.
Soren took another slow drag, but the burn in his chest had nothing to do with nicotine. He could walk away. He should. But the thought of Jace, so completely at ease, while Soren was left to simmer in the dark?
Unacceptable.
Maybe Jace needed a little punishment.
He opened his phone and immediately accepted the first person with a pretty face on his friend request list.
Looks like he's going to be busy tomorrow.
---
Morning came, and Jace waited.
Backpack slung over one shoulder, foot tapping against the concrete outside his building. The usual hum of morning rush surrounded him—bikes whirring past, someone yelling into their phone, the shuffle of students heading to early classes.
Pero walang Soren.
No familiar black car pulling up to the curb. No rolled-down window, no deadpan “Get in,” like this wasn’t the weirdest relationship either of them had ever been in.
He glanced down at his phone.
“where are you?”
Sent.
No response.
“u still coming?”
Still nothing.
He’d stared at the typing bubble that never showed up for too long.
"That’s so unlike him,” Jace muttered, brows furrowed. “He always responds..."
Finally, he gave up. Borrowed a rideshare and stared out the window the whole ride, biting the inside of his cheek raw.
First period.
The scratch of ballpoint pens filled the air, broken only by the occasional cough or the lazy hum of the air-conditioner overhead.
Jace sat near the window, half-listening, half-daydreaming—until a sharp snap beside him made him flinch.
“Shit,” someone muttered.
He turned. Rey, a classmate with sleepy eyes and a wrist full of friendship bracelets, was staring down at the broken body of his pen like it had just betrayed him.
“Nanaman?” Jace asked, amused.
Rey gave him a sheepish look. “Second one this week. You got a spare?”
Jace didn’t even hesitate. Dug into his case and held one out.
Rey took it like he’d been handed a sacred sword. “Lifesaver.”
Class went on. Scribbles, more scratches, a few muttered answers.
When the bell rang, Rey tapped Jace on the shoulder. “I owe you one.”
“It’s just a pen.”
“Still,” Rey grinned. “C’mon. Lunch is on me.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Shut up. I’m emotionally indebted.”
At the canteen, they found a table near the back, joined by Bea and Lester, both dragging their trays like they’d just survived a war. The four of them talked about everything except school. Stupid stuff. Pet peeves. Bea’s weird obsession with moths. Lester’s failed love confession over Genshin Impact.
Then Bea said it.
“Why did the bacteria break up with the virus?”
Jace groaned. “No—”
“Because it wanted space to grow its culture.”
The table burst out laughing. Even Jace wheezed.
A few students at the next table turned to stare. Some shook their heads. One guy laughed too. The energy was weirdly contagious.
It was loud, chaotic, real.
And for the first time that day, Jace wasn’t wondering where Soren was.
By the time last period ended, Jace had almost forgotten to check his phone.
Almost.
Still nothing.
Walang tawag. Walang paliwanag. Walang Soren.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out with Rey and Bea, the hallway buzzing with end-of-day chatter. Everyone was moving in waves—toward dorms, food, clubs, practice. Jace’s feet moved automatically, cutting through the crowd, headed toward the gym.
And then he saw him.
Across the courtyard.
Too familiar para magkamali.
Soren was sitting on the edge of a low planter box under one of the tall trees. He was angled toward a girl standing just a few steps away—long hair, simple skirt, smiling like she belonged there. Soren had his camera up, fingers adjusting the lens, posture relaxed. Laughing at something she said, like it was easy. Like he wasn’t leaving someone on read and skipping his usual routines like they didn’t mean anything.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The camera flashed. She twirled. He snapped again.
And still—he didn’t look at Jace.
Hindi siya tumigil. Hindi rin kumurap.
"Ah, kaya pala."
Pero may kung anong tumiklop sa dibdib niya.
Parang papel na may lamat.
Good for him though, though he never mention her to me. Jace thoughts.
Practice was already starting when he stepped into the gym. The scent of varnish and rubber filled the air, familiar and grounding. He changed into his jersey, tied his laces tighter than usual, and jogged into the court like he hadn’t just swallowed disappointment whole.
“Warm up laps, let’s go!” the coach barked.
They ran. They stretched. Then the real drills started.
Si Jace?
Parang may gustong patunayan.
Every serve was a bullet. Every block, a punch. When he spiked, the echo of the ball slamming against the floor made someone flinch.
“Easy!” the captain called out, half-joking.
But Jace wasn’t smiling.
He wasn’t talking, either.
Just moving, reacting—like every motion could shake off the irritation curling under his skin.
He knew he was being dramatic. Knew Soren didn’t owe him anything.
But it still stung.
Worse than it should.
The final whistle blew, and they were dismissed.
Jace stayed behind to wipe down the bench, stall for a bit, try to breathe.
His skin was slick with sweat, jersey clinging uncomfortably. He muttered something under his breath, grabbed his towel, and headed to the locker room. The water in the showers was lukewarm at best, but he didn’t care. He rinsed off quickly, letting the water trail over his shoulders, down his back—just enough to scrub off the weight of practice and the heat of his mood.
Five minutes. That’s all it took.
He stepped out, hair damp, something casual clothes on, and slung his bag over his shoulder.
By the time he exited the gym, the sun was low, sky painted in muted golds and purples.
And there he was.
Leaning against a lamp post just outside the gym.
Soren.
Same black jacket. Same unbothered stare.
A bottle of Pocari Sweat dangling from his hand, condensation dripping down like it had been waiting with him for a while.
“You done?” he asked, like the rest of the day didn’t happen. Like he hadn’t disappeared. Like he hadn’t left Jace hanging.
Jace stopped a few steps away.
Looked at him. Really looked.
He wanted to say something. Wanted to yell, maybe. Ask where the hell he was. Who that girl was. Why he couldn’t even text back.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he took the bottle wordlessly, twisted the cap, and drank.
Soren raised a brow.
Jace handed it back.
Soren took the bottle back, swigged from it without flinching, like nothing passed between them.
“Bwisit,” Jace muttered under his breath. Not loud enough for Soren to hear. Maybe not even meant to be heard.
He wiped a hand across his face, then looked at Soren like he wasn’t sure whether to punch him or walk away.
“So that’s it?” he said finally. “You disappear. I wait. And when you do show up, you just... lean against a lamppost like some low-budget noir character and ask if I’m done?”
Soren raised an eyebrow. “Would it kill you to say thank you for the drink?”
Jace gave a humorless laugh. “Right. Thanks for the hydration. Great consolation prize for ghosting.”
“I didn’t ghost you,” Soren said, defensive. “I just… needed time.”
“Time for what?”
“I don’t owe you a play-by-play.”
“No,” Jace agreed. “But I thought we were friends. Friends tell each other stuff. Or at the very least—text back.”
Soren shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, well. Maybe I didn’t feel like talking to someone who looked like they didn’t need me.”
Jace blinked. “What the hell does that mean?”
Soren didn’t answer right away. The breeze tugged at his collar, tousled his hair. He stared off, watching a group of freshmen pass, their laughter distant but constant.
“You looked happy,” he said eventually. “With him.”
Jace stared. “Rey?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does if it made you act like a stranger.”
Soren looked at him now. Not angry. Not smug. Just tired. “I’m not good at this.”
“No shit.”
“I didn’t want to ruin anything.”
“You ruined it by disappearing.”
There it was again—that sharp, breathless pause, like both of them had stepped too close to something neither of them could name.
Jace swallowed. “You could’ve just told me. Instead of... I don’t know. Sitting somewhere, convincing yourself I’m heartless.”
Soren’s voice was low. “I wasn’t convinced.”
“Then why the radio silence?”
Soren rubbed the back of his neck. “Because if I asked and I was wrong, I’d feel stupid. And if I was right… I didn’t want to know.”
Jace looked at him for a long time. Something in his chest shifted—frustration tangled up with reluctant sympathy. Maybe even guilt.
That's where Soren is good at.
He exhaled slowly.
“Well,” Jace said, stepping back, “good news. You were wrong.”
Soren blinked.
“You were the one who bailed, remember?” Jace continued. “You were the one who got quiet. Not me.”
Soren nodded slowly, like he was letting the words sink in molecule by molecule. Then, softly, “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“That’s all I’ve got right now.”
Jace’s lips twitched. “Wow. Emotional vulnerability from the Great Wall of Soren. Historic.”
Soren rolled his eyes. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“And you’re emotionally constipated.”
A beat of silence. Then, without meaning to, they both smiled.
Small. Crooked. Unspoken forgiveness hiding behind the curve of it.
“You hungry?” Soren asked, voice casual.
Jace shrugged. “I could eat.”
“Canteen’s closed.”
“Let’s find somewhere. Kahit saan.”
Soren started walking. “Let’s see if I’ve still got the magic touch.”
Jace followed, just a step behind. “If by magic, you mean punching the glass until it gives up…”
“Exactly.”
And just like that, they were back to their normal — fractured, flawed, but somehow still orbiting the same center.
Whatever was unsaid could wait.
For now, this was enough.
yunyuni on Chapter 1 Sun 23 Mar 2025 03:30AM UTC
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daintyun on Chapter 1 Thu 27 Mar 2025 09:11AM UTC
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Thistle_Zinnia on Chapter 1 Thu 19 Jun 2025 04:20PM UTC
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