Work Text:
day night one
stacey let mikha into her life the moment she held the elevator open for her.
she was already inside when the door was gliding closed, and a girl entered just in time.
stacey looked at the girl, her red hair was too striking to not be noticed—it flowed beautifully across her shoulders.
every move the girl made seemed so effortless, like the human embodiment and epitome of suave.
“thanks.” it was half-hearted, but stacey didn’t care. it’s just what one would say to a stranger out of courtesy.
“what floor?” stacey asked politely.
the red-haired girl glanced in stacey’s direction.
“52.”
on cue, the elevator hummed as it slowly moved up.
it wasn’t a huge and cataclysmal emotional moment, but it was the catalyst, a single encounter after which everything that truly matters would happen. (they didn’t pay much attention to each other at first, but they would soon spend weeks bumping into each other in the elevator.)
*
night four
it was already night by the time stacey arrived. stacey quickly ran inside the building to escape the big droplets of rain falling harshly on her.
she entered the elevator and was about to push the ‘close’ button when the red-haired girl came in with a guy, his right arm slung over her shoulders.
stacey moved to the front left corner near the buttons. she discreetly rolled her eyes when she heard the chuckles of the two strangers. she found the murmurs and the obvious flirting uninviting.
trying to ignore her judgmental thought, she pushed the ‘52’ button instead. stacey was too annoyed to realize and question herself how she even remembered the girl’s floor number.
the red-haired girl muttered a ‘thanks’.
stacey didn't spare her a glance and stood uncomfortably throughout the ride.
*
night 10
stacey came to her condominium a little later than usual, a quarter past 1 am, as too many patients were admitted to the emergency room.
the elevator door was about to close so she shouted “wait!”, almost desperately as she was mentally and physically exhausted, and eager to sleep on her bed right away.
as she rushed in, she saw the same girl the other night. only this time, she was with a different man. stacey suspected they just came back from a club, judging from the stench of alcohol coming from the average-looking guy.
feeling guilty for judging her, stacey gave a small smile at the girl which went unnoticed as she was already conversing with the guy.
stacey turned her back on them and awkwardly pressed her floor button.
the truth is, stacey is not one to judge other people that easily because they didn’t matter to her to even have thoughts about them. so why she’s exactly having these thoughts, stacey had no idea.
she tried her hardest not to care, her gaze focused on the increasing numbers shown on the screen of the elevator, wishing it would go faster.
the girl tapped stacey’s shoulder which made her peer over her shoulder.
“your bag is open.”
stacey quickly said thanks. the girl responded with a blank stare and took a step back to fall into the guy’s arms.
stacey sighed, feeling impatient. she was struck by an immediate need to get away and escape. she felt relieved when the elevator door swung open as it reached her floor.
*
night 14
stacey dragged her feet towards the building. she was feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with her life as a new hire at the hospital two months after taking the nursing licensure exam.
she put on her earphones and kept her gaze straight ahead as she walked towards the opened elevator, not even realizing there was another person. work occupied too much of her head to even notice anything.
baby, i’m yours
and i’ll be yours until the sun no longer shines
yours until the poets run out of rhyme
in other words, until the end of time
as stacey looked at the floor buttons to push her floor number, she realized her number was already pressed.
she leaned against the wall and focused on listening to the song. she sighed and closed her eyes. her mind was already in a calm state until she heard soft sobs.
it wasn’t from the song. she’s certain, but stacey was groggy, sleepy and her brain was not functioning right after a taxing day—so she thought she was hearing things. just to be sure, she took one of her earbuds off. she looked over her shoulder and realized it was the girl again.
the girl tried to stop crying when she caught stacey staring intently at her.
“sorry.” stacey muttered, apologizing for unintentionally invading her personal space.
the sobbing grew a little louder.
stacey didn’t know what to do. she was used to her job which required staying emotionless when delivering news to patients.
her body pulsated with panic as she searched for the right words to make the moment at least more bearable for the girl.
stacey wanted to say something. anything.
“okay ka lang?” stacey immediately regretted asking. the girl was crying—of course she wasn’t okay.
the question seemed to make the girl’s crying less intense though. red, puffy eyes looked at stacey while she wiped her tear-stained cheeks.
“sorry for asking.”
the girl gave her a weak smile.
“are you listening to baby i’m yours?” the girl asked.
“yes.”
“bakit lalaki yung kumakanta?”
“ay version ‘to ng arctic monkeys.”
stacey turned away from her, thinking her conversation already ended with the girl until she spoke again.
“i’m mikha, and you’re… stacey.”
“kilala mo ko?”
“it’s written on your badge.”
stacey looked down at her chest, awash with embarrassment. she laughed a little to break the awkward silence.
the elevator let out its usual ding sound.
“goodnight, mikha. i hope you feel better.” stacey said as genuinely as she could before stepping out of the elevator.
*
night 17
music became the distraction tool stacey needed to cope after a stressful day/night at work. as usual, she had her earbuds on as she hummed and walked into the elevator.
‘di mauunawaan ang nililihim ko
basahin mo ako
yakapin ang buong ako
kung nag-aatubili, ako'y 'di para sa 'yo
stacey stood next to mikha, but intentionally left a big distance between them. mikha volunteered to press the button for her. stacey turned around briefly, and flashed her a smile to express her gratitude.
“what are you listening to?” mikha asked, looking at stacey. the music was loud enough for stacey not to hear her, and so mikha’s question was left unanswered, but her eyes didn’t dare to look away from stacey.
stacey felt the constant stare on her skin through her peripheral vision. she looked back.
“syd hartha.”
“huh?” stacey was puzzled.
mikha took the earbud off stacey’s left ear. stacey could smell the same strong perfume mikha wore. versace bright crystal.
“yung pinapakinggan mo. isa sa mga kanta ni syd hartha.”
“kung nag-aatubili.”
“mm.”
“kilala mo siya?”
“do i know her personally?”
“i mean, you actually know her songs?”
mikha raised an eyebrow at her. “do i look like a person who doesn’t?”
“yes.” stacey answered without missing a beat.
mikha’s phone started to ring and played one of hev abi’s top hits. the irony.
when the elevator reached the 24th floor, stacey gave a small wave to mikha and softly said ‘goodnight’, before she got off the elevator.
*
night 18
mikha wasn’t wearing anything extravagant as compared to what she usually saw on her. that was the first thing stacey noticed when she went in the elevator. her clothes were normal, jeans paired with a black shirt and a jersey-relaxed jacket. they looked perfect on her.
her earbuds were on, and a song was playing as usual. only this time, she really wasn’t listening to it. her mind was elsewhere—stacey thought the jacket looked way too comfortable on mikha, and was hugging her pleasantly. she wondered what it’s like to hug her.
stacey tried to erase the thoughts, and felt odd why she was noticing this kind of thing. she gaslighted herself into thinking it was because of a long day at work.
mikha greeted her with a smile which stacey reciprocated.
“anong pinapakinggan mo?” mikha looked at her excitedly. “wait, don’t answer yet. let me guess first.”
“okay.”
why do stars fall down from the sky
every time you walk by?
just like me, they long to be
close to you
a contemplative look fell upon mikha's face which stacey found cute, a fact she wouldn’t admit to herself just yet. she can’t help but smile at mikha.
“ah. the carpenters.” mikha clapped her hands together, startling stacey a bit. “close to you.”
“mali eh.”
“open parenthesis, they long to be, close parenthesis, close to you.” mikha answered boldly, emphasizing the parenthesis using her hands. “akala mo ha.”
stacey let out a small laugh. “i’m impressed.”
at this hour, mikha was surprisingly energetic in contrast to stacey who felt like her whole body was about to collapse anytime. so it surprised stacey that she suddenly became enthusiastic. (mikha’s energy was probably too infectious.)
“my mom’s favorite. kahit sintunado kakantahin niya talaga yan. basta carpenters.” mikha said with a smile, brighter than before.
“my mom likes the carpenters too. especially karen. singer na nga kasi drummer pa raw.”
“your mom would like me then.”
stacey looked at mikha in awe.
“drummer ka pala.”
“i don’t look like one ulit?”
“you look like someone who plays guitar,”
“i know how to play a little. di ko lang talaga forte. the strings hurt my fingers.”
“parinig nga para maniwala ako.” stacey teased.
“sa drums ba?”
“sa lahat. one woman band ganun.” it was banter, but half meant.
“maybe someday.” stacey’s uncertain if mikha meant it, but a part of her hoped she did.
the elevator opened.
“goodnight, mikha.”
“bye.”
mikha’s eyes followed stacey until the door was fully closed, snapping her out of a light trance.
*
nights 19 to 37
stacey liked riding the elevator with mikha. there’s an excitement specific to it, coupled with relief and security. she found an unexpected sanctuary within the confines of the elevator. her body no longer sought the embrace of her bed; it now yearned for the fleeting warmth she shared with mikha.
it became a routine for the both of them. stacey would play a song then mikha would guess what it was. they would exchange stories about their memories of a certain song, their conversation only lasting until the elevator reached stacey’s floor. stacey would then say goodnight to mikha before leaving, and mikha would reply (a nod, a ‘bye’, a hum, sometimes even a smile but never ‘goodnight’).
they stumble upon similar music taste, shared interests, and parallel life experiences. and while their interactions only remained inside the cramped space, and they made no effort in seeing each other outside the elevator, an unspoken connection blossomed between them. it was enough to put a smile on stacey’s face.
she can’t exactly pinpoint the moment their rides became different. stacey thought it was not a moment, but a process. the more she spent time with mikha, the more she liked riding the elevator with mikha.
*
night 39
here you are i’ve waited so long
hoping you would sit down to stay
‘cause with these stars
i’ve been dancing along
like a fool so you'd look my way
“hi.” stacey didn’t mean to sound like someone who waited for so long, even if she actually did wait for mikha. (she managed to convince herself that she was hungry and that she needed to eat siopao at 711 before going up to her unit. it was a silly excuse she made up in her mind when she didn’t see mikha in the elevator. which apparently worked now that the latter was in front of her.)
“hello.”
mikha smelled like alcohol, it made stacey wonder if she could pass the drunkenness by sharing the same air with her.
“didn’t see you kagabi. masyado ka ata nawili sa mga parties mo.”
what stacey meant was that she missed mikha, but sometimes people have a hard time saying what they really mean.
“do i look like a person who only goes to parties and clubs?” mikha looked offended.
“yes.” she answered without any hesitation.
the sight of mikha sulking made stacey laugh. mikha looked as she heard stacey’s chortle.
“weirdo.”
stacey laughed harder after hearing mikha’s remark. it was too contagious that mikha began laughing too.
“aphrodite. the ridleys.” mikha said out of the blue.
“my go-to song pag gusto ko kiligin.” stacey replied.
“i take it wala nagpapakilig sayo?”
stacey turned around and witnessed mikha’s smile that could manage to light up the darkness outside, mirroring the song she’s listening to.
you’re the moon that glows in the sky
lighting up the world when it's blue
ikaw. stacey didn’t say it aloud, she figured that even if mikha drank alcohol, she wasn’t drunk enough to not see through stacey. not too drunk that she would forget about stacey’s confession the next day.
“goodnight, mikha.” stacey said, seeing the elevator nearing her floor, and as an attempt to dodge mikha’s question.
“okay.”
*ding*
“why don’t you ever say goodnight back?” stacey asked subconsciously as she walked out of the elevator. it wasn’t taunting or demanding. stacey was just curious, and she really wasn’t expecting a reply.
but to her surprise, mikha already followed her outside the elevator.
“i guess i just feel like i shouldn't be the last one that wishes you goodnight.”
stacey was about to tell mikha that she didn’t have to explain herself, but hearing her words made her even more curious.
“why?”
“i think the last goodnight you receive should only belong to someone important in your life. someone who matters to you. it’s just too intimate... am i making sense?”
“gets.” stacey took note that maybe to mikha, the little things in life matter more than anything else. she suddenly deemed herself not worthy to bid mikha goodnight. stacey thought she’s not important to mikha. she felt like she was taking something in mikha’s life without permission. “i won’t say it anymore.”
“no, that’s not what i meant.”
“it’s fine. you do make sense. i just never thought of it that way.” she explained sheepishly.
“you can still say it to me.” stacey can hear the sincerity in mikha’s voice. “i want you to.”
stacey held a giggle from escaping in her mouth. “okay, miss seryoso.”
“okay.”
“so mahalaga pala ako sayo.” stacey pressed.
“may sinabi ba ako?”
“tinatanggap mo goodnight ko.”
“whatever.” mikha rolled her eyes.
stacey bit her lip so her smile wouldn’t show. she liked it the most when mikha was acting cute and carefree.
“wala ka na magagawa. parte na ako ng bawat gabi mo.” stacey retorted.
“i’ll just take the stairs then.”
“wag na baka di ka pa makatulog pag na-miss mo ‘ko.”
“ikaw naman ata nakaka-miss sakin.”
“mukhang kailangan mo na matulog.” stacey said hastily, afraid that if mikha didn’t leave she might as well just admit out loud that she did miss mikha. “rest well.”
“katakot naman yung rest well.”
“edi sleep well.”
“you look really tired.” mikha’s playful tone was quickly replaced and laced with concern. “pahinga ka na. i hope you’re getting enough sleep.”
stacey blinked, stunned as she saw this caring side of mikha for the first time.
“nasan na goodnight ko?” mikha flashed her a toothy smile, which made her look like a little kid. stacey’s heart softened at such a sight.
“goodnight, mikha.”
mikha didn’t reply, instead she poked stacey’s cheek lightly before turning her heel gracefully to wait for an elevator.
a touch that made stacey’s pulse quicken and heart beat loudly in her ears.
mikha stood there clueless, having no idea that she just made stacey’s stomach do a somersault and her heart race.
*
night 40
my love, my darling
i’ve hungered for your touch
a long, lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
i need your love
i need your love
“i need your love.” mikha answered confidently.
“umamin ka di mo talaga alam noh?” stacey squinted her eyes, and crossed her arms.
“alam ko kaya.”
mikha stifled a laugh.
“talaga?”
“oo onga.”
“sus. paulit ulit lang kasi yung lyrics kaya nahulaan mo.”
“so tama ako?”
“hindi.”
“okay fine. familiar lang.” mikha accepted defeat.
“unchained melody.”
“where did you first hear this?”
“i like listening to vinyl records. yung dad ko may collection ng vinyl sa bahay namin sa nueva vizcaya. unchained melody yung una niyang pinarinig sakin.”
mikha didn’t miss the way stacey’s face turned sad.
“my dad was gone too soon.” stacey absentmindedly stared at the floor. “my mom and i used to play his vinyl whenever we miss him. di ko naman madala sa manila kasi siyempre mas malulungkot si mama. minsan nga sinasayaw niya pa yung case nun habang pinapatugtog yung vinyl ni papa.”
mikha had never experienced losing someone, but she still somehow felt stacey’s sadness. she wanted to hold her hand, but she was not sure if she could. so she silently prayed that stacey’s heart would feel lighter.
“mahal na mahal siguro nila isa’t isa.” mikha hoped stacey would feel better by reminding her how much her parents loved each other.
“sobra. were your parents like that too?”
“yep. i want to time travel and witness how their love grew.”
“sama ako.”
“then parents mo naman after. i want to meet your dad.”
“okay.” stacey smiled brightly, lighting up her entire face with warmth.
“okay.”
wait for me, wait for me
i’ll be coming home, wait for me
the next second, they reached stacey’s floor.
“goodnight, mikha.”
mikha smiled.
*
unchained melody became the song mikha would play on loop, but still never get tired of since the night stacey let her know of its existence.
*
nights 41 to 44
stacey didn’t see mikha in the elevator the night after, and the next three nights after that.
stacey would stay and wait sometimes. she didn’t know the reason why she did (she didn’t really try to figure out why, but sometimes she would go as far as thinking of waiting for mikha on the 52nd floor. only to recite a number of reasons why she shouldn’t). all she knew was her nights were better with mikha in it, and her absence made stacey feel lonely.
*
night 45
gwen offered to let stacey stay in her place to save time from commuting, but she declined, hoping she would see mikha again.
stacey beamed with delight when mikha came in the elevator, but her smile was completely replaced with a scowl when she realized she’s with another guy.
mikha’s fragrance lingered on stacey’s senses whenever she left the elevator, but this time she couldn’t stand mikha’s perfume—more so at the sight of her wearing a dress that bared her back while in another person’s company. the sight was unbearable.
stacey felt her skin crawl, and couldn’t breathe. before it closed, she left the elevator.
she heard the tapping of stilettos behind her. stacey looked over her shoulder and saw that it was mikha. she walked faster, her sneakers and long limbs were both disadvantages to mikha.
“where are you going?” mikha’s feet began to hurt.
“taking the stairs,” stacey answered acidly.
“are you serious?” mikha’s voice was coated in disbelief.
when stacey didn’t answer, mikha grabbed her wrist to stop her. her first instinct was to steer stacey away from the stairs and take her to the elevator, but then stacey’s gaze quickly rose to meet hers—their faces merely an inch apart—and it’s as if mikha had been waiting for this moment, to hold stacey’s hand and be this close to her. she was suddenly lost in stacey’s eyes that she couldn’t move.
“don’t take the stairs.”
mikha stared at stacey for a while, and she could see it in her face that something was deeply wrong, like she was the last person stacey wanted to see. it crushed mikha.
“don’t tell me what to do.” stacey’s voice was hollow.
mikha squeezed stacey’s hand, and remained unfazed.
“stacey, you look like you should get some rest.” mikha said softly while looking at her worriedly.
“that’s none of your business.” stacey answered curtly.
mikha’s face fell. she pursed her lips together, shook her head, and finally let go of stacey’s wrist before walking away.
the sound of mikha’s steps became more and more distant and her figure became smaller and smaller.
every time stacey blinked, the farther mikha was from her sight.
blink. she was gone.
it’s been days since they last listened to a song together. days since she said goodnight to mikha. stacey felt a twinge in her chest as she realized just how much she missed her.
*
nights 46 to 51
stacey had been taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
mikha had been waiting night after night in the elevator for stacey. even at nights where she didn’t go out.
*
night 52
almost a week after they last saw each other, mikha saw stacey walking in the building. she waved at her while pressing the ‘hold’ button. stacey ignored her, put on her earphones, and walked towards the staircase.
mikha went after stacey and called out her name, but she was struggling to keep up. mikha was carrying some things.
stacey was already a flight of stairs far away from her. mikha quickened her steps. it wasn’t long before she finally caught stacey by the wrist, steadying her into place. “why are you not taking the elevator anymore?”
stacey looked taken aback.
“healthy living.” she replied, her tone flat.
mikha took a few steps to meet stacey at eye level. she thought stacey was ignoring her for no conceivable reason. mikha doesn’t remember doing anything wrong.
“may nagawa ba ako?”
stacey stared at mikha blankly. “no. pagod lang ako.” it was the only excuse stacey could think of at the moment.
“then take the elevator with me.” mikha pleaded, not even caring if stacey turned her down again. her tone not desperate, just hopeful.
the air fell into silence for a moment until stacey laughed mockingly, in disbelief that mikha was asking that of her. “ano ba talagang pinagkakaabalahan mo aside from going to clubs and parties?”
“what do you mean?” there was a little furrow in mikha’s thick eyebrows.
“exactly what i asked.”
“i work at a club. i’m a DJ.”
stacey suddenly felt guilty, and almost swallowed her pride. but there’s still a guy, she thought. and mikha with someone else bothered and hurt and made stacey upset even if she had no right. stacey was utterly confused, these feelings did not make sense to her.
stacey wanted to ask the one question that has been weighing heavily on her mind since she started avoiding mikha.
“where’s your guy?” she asked cynically, her expression dark and cold.
“there’s no guy.”
“eh sino yung kasama mo?” stacey scoffed, letting the words hang heavily in the air. “the guy who’s probably the reason why i didn’t see you around for several nights.”
“yes, i was with him during those nights.”
stacey’s chest rose and then fell. she took her hand back, and abruptly moved away from mikha’s reach.
there was an unmistakable tension, but that didn’t stop mikha from taking a step forward.
“he’s a friend of mine. he was helping me work on something that matters to me.”
mikha handed her a paper bag containing what seemed to be vinyl records and a turntable. “i hope this will matter to you too.”
stacey’s face slowly softened. “ano ‘to?” she asked as she held it in her hands, her tone no longer bitter and hurt.
mikha closed her eyes to find the right words to say.
“i spent days recording the songs we listened to together sa elev and made them into vinyl records. all the songs that made me get to know you better.” mikha closed her eyes, tried to catch the words before they slipped away—hoping her words would stop stacey from slipping away too. “dapat siya na sa guitar and bass kasi i’m not really confident with them, but i asked him to teach me instead. i want you to hear only me. and i can try for you, you know. you’re worth it.”
stacey put the words together in her head again in an attempt to comprehend them. she realized just how much mikha thought of her, that she embedded the things stacey told her in her mind, and spent days doing something she thought stacey would love.
stacey was so moved that she couldn’t say anything. stacey wasn’t sure what she felt: whether it was just flattery, gratitude, or something else entirely—whatever it was, it shunned the weight in her heart and replaced it with tranquility.
“i told you maybe someday diba. i meant what i said, stacey. ito na yung someday.”
stacey closed her eyes briefly, letting mikha’s words sink in. then she looked at mikha intently, admiring the gentleness her face held.
stacey still didn’t say anything, and they were practically staring at each other for a long time. she thought mikha’s eyes held so much earnestness.
mikha placed her hand on top of stacey’s hand resting on the rim of the stairs. and stacey allowed her.
there was something so nurturing about the way she held stacey’s hand and looked at her, as if she was looking at stacey to see how she’s really doing, interested in the thoughts running in her head, as if mikha truly cared.
*
nights 53 to 60
stacey had been listening to the vinyl mikha recorded for her over and over again at home. mikha sang so beautifully, she hit the drums perfectly, and played the guitar and bass the right way. all for stacey.
stacey was enthralled. she yearned for mikha, even just for a glimpse.
sometimes tears fell from her eyes every time she played her father’s vinyl of unchained melody, her heart filled with longing and sadness as she remembered her fond memories of him.
so it wasn’t anything new that sometimes tears fell from stacey’s eyes every time she played mikha’s recording of unchained melody, the only difference is her heart filled with contentment and happiness.
*
night 61
stacey and mikha saw each other in the elevator again. the distance between them was not too close, but not too far. yet it seemed that mikha was someone she could get close to if she wanted to, but never have for herself.
“wala kang pinapakinggan.” mikha said softly.
stacey just shrugged.
the truth is, stacey had not listened to any song the past few days since she heard mikha singing and playing the instruments. for stacey, all the songs had been divided into “mikha” and “not mikha.” and these days, those that were of mikha’s became the only comfort she needed.
they met in the elevator which had been lifting them literally, but it was mikha who had been really lifting her. mikha simply made her happy.
“thank you.” stacey said to mikha. “pinapatugtog ko silang lahat lagi.”
a ghost of a smile on mikha’s face. it didn't matter to mikha whether stacey thought of her as special as she thought of stacey. whatever they had at the moment was enough.
“anong favorite mo?” mikha asked.
“guess.”
“unchained melody?”
“it’s special. pero nope.”
“aphrodite?”
“nope.”
“close to you?”
“nawp.”
mikha paused for a moment, then spoke again. her eyes glistened.
there was something about mikha’s eyes that made stacey feel as if it was boring deeply into her own. they share something very intimate, an intimacy stacey thought she could not share with someone else.
“baby i’m yours.” there’s some finality the way mikha said it. as if it was a statement, not an answer to the guessing game they play. it was mikha’s truth anyway—that she belonged to stacey.
“yes.” stacey said it like it was a reply to mikha’s declaration, as though she’s proud that mikha is hers. she repeated it over and over in her head.
mikha’s gaze land on stacey’s lips. the shade of her lipstick was deep rose, and it looked gorgeous on her. mikha wondered if it would look gorgeous on her too. maybe she could find out by kissing stacey. the same color crept in her cheeks at the thought.
she supposed she should have tilted her face up toward stacey and kissed her then, but she didn’t. yes, she belonged to stacey but she wasn’t sure if stacey belonged to her. mikha finally looked away, and shook the thought off her head.
the elevator reached the 24th floor, but stacey didn’t leave. she waited for the elevator to close before it lifted them up to mikha’s floor.
mikha shot her a questioning look, confusion written on her face. she was about to ask her, but stacey spoke first.
“mikha,”
“hm?”
“you matter to me.” stacey’s voice fell to a whisper, diffident but not reluctant.
mikha reached out and took stacey’s hand in hers as if to remind stacey that she felt the same way.
stacey noted how soft and fragrant mikha’s hand was. she thought it’s what she would remember for the rest of the night. tomorrow. the next day after that. maybe even forever.
*ding*
it was mikha’s floor.
“goodnight, mikha.”
outside the elevator, mikha turned around, and stayed there for a few seconds, making the most of looking at stacey’s beauty.
“goodnight, stacey.”
stacey told mikha she mattered to her. mikha can finally say goodnight to stacey.
stacey caught mikha’s eyes, and they both smiled so hard they thought they could cry. their gazes held until the elevator closed.
*
nights 62 to 84
stacey started riding the elevator again with mikha, but their routine became somehow different. stacey no longer leaves the elevator first, she would continue waiting until mikha’s floor was reached before going home. it’s no longer only stacey who would say goodnight. mikha would say goodnight to stacey too, step out of the elevator, and they would both stare at each other until the elevator closed.
a 52-floor ride was more than enough for stacey, and she has been smiling more ever since.
*
night 85
stacey started listening to “not mikha” songs again because she liked to imagine mikha playing and singing them. she just liked to be incessantly reminded of mikha every now and then.
“you’re in your simple clothes.” stacey said to mikha.
“yeah?”
“i like simple clothes.”
“what else do you like?” mikha moved closer to stacey, close enough to hear a familiar song playing from one of stacey’s earbuds.
“i like them on you.”
stacey tucked a hair behind mikha’s reddening ear. the blush on mikha’s cheeks deepened.
“what else?”
stacey took a deep breath. “i like you.” she said with all the confidence she could muster. letting the words out of her mouth was easier than what stacey thought maybe because it had been on the tip of her tongue since the day she realized it.
she didn’t wait for mikha’s reply. she really wasn’t expecting anything. what stacey did instead was take a few steps to close the gap between them.
their shoulders touch, and mikha wondered if stacey could hear her heart beat loudly just as she could clearly hear the music stacey was listening to.
mikha finally recognized what song was playing, and the corners of her lips turned up.
“take a chance with me.”
stacey nodded, acknowledging that mikha got the title right.
“stacey,”
“hmm?”
“take a chance with me.”
stacey was dazed, confused whether mikha thought she didn’t hear her guessing the song the first time so she’s repeating it again or whether—
“take a chance with me, stacey.”
when stacey looked into her eyes, she finally understood what mikha meant. she felt it in the way her eyes showed a genuine interest to know who she really was, her entire being. mikha’s eyes saying that she wanted to be with stacey even outside this confined space. that a 52-floor elevator ride wasn’t really enough for mikha.
in the end, we only regret
the chances we didn't take
i’ll be your safety net
so why not raise the stakes?
oh, why can't we for once
say what we want, say what we feel?
oh, why can't you for once
disregard the world and run to what you know is real?
they could be more, and nothing was really stopping them from becoming more.
so stacey replied, “i’ll gladly do.” then she closed the short distance between them, and brushed her lips against mikha’s cheek.
it turned out that 52 rides weren’t enough for stacey either.
the elevator door opened as it reached mikha’s floor.
“goodnight, mikha.”
“goodnight, stacey.”
take a chance with me.
*
night 627
stacey and mikha have been officially together for more than a year now, but they would still wait in the elevator and their hearts still picked up pace whenever they saw each other from several feet away. mikha would still guess the song stacey’s listening to. except this time, they wouldn’t say goodnight in the elevator. instead, they would say goodnight on the 24th floor in stacey’s unit, and sometimes on the 52nd floor in mikha’s unit after spending the night together.
this night stacey purposely played a particular song while they were in the elevator, as they headed to mikha’s place.
kiss me, beneath the milky twilight
lead me out on the moonlit floor
lift your open hand
strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
silver moon's sparkling
so kiss me
“kiss me.” mikha said. “the song’s title is kiss-” before mikha can even finish, stacey stole a chaste kiss from her girlfriend.
“pumaparaan ka na naman, stacey sevilleja.” mikha rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed even if that’s the exact opposite of what she was feeling.
“inis ka na niyan, mikha lim? edi gumanti ka.”
“papansin.”
so kiss me
mikha got her revenge by pulling stacey, and kissing her, her hands wrapped around the taller girl’s neck—uncaring that they were still in the elevator.
the song was still playing in the background, although stacey was having trouble concentrating. not when their fingers were laced together, and mikha is kissing her like that .
so kiss me
stacey giggled, and pressed mikha’s back to her body. mikha relaxed as she allowed her girlfriend to snuggle closer. stacey’s lips just below her ear, her hands tightly wrapped around her waist, and her chin on the crook of mikha’s neck. mikha could feel the flutter of stacey’s eyelashes against her neck with every blink.
mikha was too warm and it became unthinkable for stacey to let go of her. stacey whispered tender words of endearment, and her heart filled with glee as mikha whispered them back.
“i love this song.” stacey said.
“me too.”
“pero mas mahal ko trampoline ko.”
“you have a trampoline?” an amused grin formed on mikha’s face. her mind created an image of stacey jumping on a trampoline and flipping in the air, an imagination mikha found cute and funny.
“oo. yakap yakap ‘ko nga ngayon eh.” stacey tightened her arms around mikha’s waist. “you’re my trampoline. the more i fall for you, the more you lift me higher and higher.” her words were dripping with honey.
mikha mirrored the smile blossoming on stacey’s face. they have the gift of making each other smile in different ways, a natural chemistry that cannot be forced.
mikha came into stacey’s life without warnings, without intentions, without plans—without anything at all.
they weren’t looking for love, but they found it where they least expected, in the elevator, where striking up conversations with strangers wasn’t common. you take the elevator up several floors to reach your destination, its short duration not permitting you to notice anything, much more talk to someone only to bid them goodbye so soon. but still, it led stacey to mikha.
their love didn’t happen all at once. it’s not a love they would’ve recognized at first glance. it's a warmth that grew and took its time. and there’s a secret they held so close from each other: while it’s true that their first few encounters may have been a realm of coincidences, the next were really just stacey and mikha waiting in the elevator in hopes of seeing each other (they probably know that anyway. seeing each other every night almost constantly was too much to be a coincidence, right?).
their love appeared out of thin air, in the form of chance encounters and coincidences, unexpectedly finding themselves in the same place at the same time. but what if stacey didn’t start a conversation with mikha at all? what if mikha had not been curious at what stacey was listening to? what if mikha didn’t run after stacey and just let her take the stairs?
really, it’s the love they chose—their willingness to embrace the unknown and unpredictability—that reminded them that love is as much about allowing fate to bring them together as it is about their actions.
“you lift me up too, stacey.” mikha replied as she pinched and pulled stacey’s earlobe gently.
it’s pure, the love they have, and they were simply happy.
stacey placed one of her earbuds in mikha’s ear.
so kiss me
it was mikha who stole a kiss from stacey this time.
*ding*
they left the elevator together.