I watched my professor as I stand leaning on the glass cubicle door. He is still staring blankly at his niece'sphotograph while sipping his coffee. He has his favorite jerseys on, the gray one with the threadbare bottoms. It is a good thing that he is wearing a lab coat on top.
His thick hair is a mess, with dark rings around his eyes, and a week old stubble covering half of his face, there's no wonder they call him a neanderthal behind his back.
Well, I think it gives him character! Those omegas just can not appreciate a handsome man when they see one. They are all too obsessed with beautiful clean shaven men like... well, like myself.
I am not interested in such people. We may be of roughly the same age, with some even older than I am, but we are nothing alike.
I do not look at outside appearances.
I look at the inside.
At other people's intellect.
And in that regard, no one is more handsome, nor more beautiful than my Professor Antonio.
"What are you frowning at me for?"
"Huh?" I didn't notice him looking at me. "I was just thinking of something..." I mumbled.
"What something?"
"Nothing..." I entered his room and sat beside him. "Professor, are you happy with your work here?" I asked.
"Nope," he said straight out. "But it's not like I have a choice. As they say, it's all part of the job."
"Then why don't you leave? You have enough funds and resources to start your own research institute. You can easily use your fame to your advantage."
He stared at me for a while and sighed.
"Let's just say... I still owe Universal Laboratories a favor..." he mumbled, "i can't just leave the company."
"Then come work with me in the UACME branch, there, we can study all we want, anything we want, without people forcing us to babysit inept interns or appear in public to advertise for the company."
"Aahmes."
The professor looked at me with a sad smile that seemed to hide a thousand secrets that he could never tell a soul.
"Things aren't as simple as you think," he said. "It's true that it's better to work somewhere else. Somewhere I can do what I want without anyone butting in. But this is my country. My family is here. I mean, never mind that bastard Louie, but my nieces and nephew all live here. I can't just leave them behind."
"But don't worry," he continued, "this is a give and take relationship," he said with a toothy grin. "They give me headache, and they have no choice but take all the bullshit I dump on them."
"Do you remember Gadzilla's face when i announced that 50% discount? I bet his hospital bill is bigger than my deficit, `coz of all the anxiety I've been giving him!" he said with a loud laugh. "So don't you worry about me," he said after a sigh. "I've got this. I'm used to being used."
We fell silent for a while.
I may not know the real reason why he cannot leave, but at least I can stay by his side and take care of him.
"Are you done for today?" I asked him instead.
"Almost... I just need to finish this progress report crap they kept asking me to send..."
"Do that next time."
I took hold of his good arm and pulled him up.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To your doctor. You're getting your cast removed today, remember?"
"Isn't my appointment at 4 PM? It's hardly even lunch time yet..."
"We're eating out."
I went to the pantry first.
Pedro was already getting his lunch heated at the microwave oven.
"Pedro, we're going out," I called to him. "Diaz, Francisco and de Leon have been dismissed. Did they surrender their identification cards to you?"
"Ah, yes, Dr. Abdel..."
"Good, we'll see you tomorrow."
"You're not coming back?" he asked.
"Obviously," I replied, and pulled Prof. Antonio along with me.
"Woah, woah, woah, Habibi, wait a sec, can you tell me what's going on?" he asked, sounding alarmed. "Why do I feel like you're in a bad mood? And who are those three people you just dismissed?"
"Unnecessary people who are a waste of laboratory space," I answered.
"Wait a minute, isn't de Leon Dr. Gonzaga's grand kid?"
"Regardless, I deem them unnecessary. For now, we will have lunch, get some new clothes, get you cleaned, and get to bed early."
"But why? At least tell me what happened?!"
"The awarding ceremony tomorrow will be broadcasted live tomorrow and shown worldwide. I want you to look your best."
"Pssh... and here I thought something serious happened," he mumbled. "I don't need any new clothes, though. You already bought me three suits, and I've also got that barong I bought last time. That's more than enough to last me a decade."
"I meant work clothes."
He looked down at the old clothes he was wearing and frowned at me.
"What? Do you plan to throw all my clothes out again?!" he growled at me. "For your information, my clothes may be old, but they are more comfortable than the most expensive clothes you've got in your closet! They are perfectly molded to my body! Nothing can be more comfortable!"
I sigh and was forced to tell him the truth.
"There are people who are laughing behind your back because of the way you dress."
"And so? Did they benefit from dissing me? Did I lose anything from their insults?"
I glare at him.
He laughed and rustled my hair, pulling my lasso off once again.
"So, who were those three fools insulting me, and why are you so affected by it?" he asked. "To think that they were able to put a frown on my Habibi's face! Why, the first time I saw you, you looked like an emotionless doll who can only more its mouth and its eyes. Now, I see your brows going at all directions, particularly towards each other!" he said with a laugh.
"It is mostly because of you, professor."
He laughed even louder.
"I know! I made it one of my quests in life – to fill Habibi's face with irritated expressions! And it seems I've been successful too!"
"Very."
"So, Habibi, where are we going on a date?" he asked as he led the way out of the building.
"This is not a date," I said flatly. "And don't call me Habibi.
We went to the mall and had lunch in the food court.
I wanted to eat in a proper restaurant, but the professor insisted that he wanted to eat lumpia1 and bopis2 from two different stores. Besides, as he pointed out, he wasn't dressed properly. They would probably restrict us from entering the premises.
That's why I decided to go to the barbers right after we ate.
"You wanna get a haircut?" he asked, wide-eyed, "Don't! You look fabulous with long hair! You're even prettier than Pilar!"
"Not me, professor. You."
"No thank you, I'm planning to wear my hair long so we can be matchy-matchy," he said with a grin.
"At least trim it at the sides a little," I touched his hair and noticed him shiver.
I guess he still feels a bit uncomfortable with me.
"O-okay, then, if it's for my Habibi..." he stepped away. "Then let's go get my cast off, okay? I've been dying to get it removed! The itch is killing me!"
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1Lumpia – spring rolls (fresh or fried) with vegetables and/or ground beef filling
2Bopis – spicy pork or beef innards minced and sauteed in garlic and vinegar