Kisses, kisses, kisses 🔥

Viva One Studios - Tuesday

The production van had barely parked when Ash stepped out with calm, steady strides. A faint trace of exhaustion still lingered on her face, leftovers from the collapse that postponed the previous day's shoot, but there was something new in her eyes: a sparkle. The kind of glow someone carries when they know they're exactly where they're meant to be.

As soon as she crossed the gates, she was met with a small, impromptu yet heartwarming scene: part of the cast and crew were outside, smiling, some holding up phones, others clapping silently as if it were a premiere. Yayan, always dramatic, held a handwritten sign that read:

"WELCOME BACK, ASH"

"The superstar has returned!" Shouted Sara, in that unmistakable voice that always made everyone laugh."Just when we were starting to miss her too much," Kurt added, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes.

Ash smiled, surprised and visibly moved. She scanned each face, silently grateful.But it was Andres who approached last quiet, a restrained smile on his lips, something hidden in his hands.

He handed her the bouquet: fresh white and red roses, delicate, with a soft scent that whispered care.

"For you," He said, voice low.

Ash accepted the flowers as if they were something precious. Her fingers traced the petals before her eyes met his. Her gaze said more than words could: affection, yes, but also intimacy.

"Thank you, Dres."

He just nodded, something in his eyes held back, like he had so much more to say, but chose silence instead.They stood there a moment longer than expected.

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Main Scene

The set was silent.Cameras in position. Costumes flawless. The lighting cast a dramatic contrast between the car's headlight and Ash's face. The director raised his arm for the countdown.Everyone held their breath.

"Action!"

Jay-jay stood leaning against the car. Her body trembling. Her tear-filled eyes reflected pain, not just her character's, but something deeper, something Ash let surface without fear. There was an uncommon truth in the way she gave herself to this scene.Andres approached like a man unraveling from within.

"You're mine. Only mine. Every part of you belongs to me."Keifer's voice, (Andres' voice), was raw, laced with sick love and desperate restraint.

"No... That's not true," Jay-jay replied, calm but wounded. A wounded calm."No, I'm not. I don't belong to you, Keifer."

Her words were sharp. The camera zoomed in slowly, capturing the energy pulsing between them, their burning eyes.

"Why? Because you love Yuri?"

"Yes. That's why I accepted his proposal."

Ash delivered that line like she'd dropped a grenade. Direct. Precise.Real silence filled the set, even the operators didn't move.

Andres stepped forward heavily, his eyes blazing.

"Liar."

She met him coldly.

"I'm not lying."

He snapped again.

"And yet, you kissed me that night..."

"You responded to my touch. You moaned my name... You almost gave yourself to me! And now you say you love Yuri?"

Ash let her tears fall freely. No cuts. The camera shook slightly as the operator followed.

"YES! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I FEEL! BUT THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE!"

"You chose Yuri... why? Because of the engagement?!"

Jay-jay seemed to collapse. Her knees buckled.

"Because it's what's right. Because... I can't watch him hurt again. I want him to be happy. Even if it costs me my own."

Andres froze. Cruel silence filled the space.

"So you chose to sacrifice your own feelings?"

Jay-jay didn't answer. She simply dropped to her knees. Tears flowed freely.

Then Keifer exploded.

"It's always about Yuri!" He cried with a lifetime of pain. "When Percy almost died, all anyone cared about was him! Every time something happens, it's about him! And now, even you?!"Jay-jay looked at him, her expression drenched in exhausted empathy.

"...I grew up without a mother beside me. A father who was never there to guide me. I raised my brothers alone! And still, no one ever asked if I was okay!"

Ash ran to him, wrapping him in a fierce, real hug, the kind that protects, that understands, that carries pain of its own.

The cameras kept rolling. The microphones caught every broken breath. Andres trembled in her arms.

He whispered:

"I can't lose you."

"I love you so much, Jay..."

She answered, softly:

"I love you too, Keifer..."

Silence on set.

The director struggled to breathe. Then, voice trembling:

"Cut."

A hush of reverence fell. Crew members swallowed hard. One of the lighting guys discreetly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.Ash and Andres remained in the embrace for a few seconds longer than needed.When they pulled apart, it was slow, like the emotion was still tethered between their bodies.And maybe... it was.

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Dressing Room - Late Afternoon

Ash had changed out of costume and now sat alone in front of the vanity mirror. A strange calm filled the room, as if time had slowed in there. The air still carried the scent of makeup, costumes... and flowers. Flowers she couldn't stop looking at.The roses sat by the lit mirror, white and red, elegant, delicate, alive.Ash touched one of the petals with the tip of her finger and sighed.

A soft click echoed as the doorknob turned.Andres stepped in quietly, his face still slightly damp from a quick shower after the scene.

"I thought you'd left," she said without turning.

"And miss this?", He replied, eyes tracing her back, her loose hair, the way the light made the roses look like part of her.

She looked into the mirror, catching the reflection of his gaze.A silence full of unspoken things hung in the air.

"Are you thinking about the scene or last night?"

Andres flushed, caught off guard by her boldness. He didn't answer right away.Ash turned slowly, still holding the flower stem, and stepped toward him.

"Want me to tell you what I remember?" She asked, voice low.

He just nodded, already lost in her eyes.

"I remember the way you looked at me before leaving. Like you wanted to say more than you did. And I remember your eyes when I kissed you... they were starving. And sweet. At the same time."

She lifted her hand, cupping his cheek, her fingers grazing his jaw.

"And now... they're the same."

Andres took a deep breath. Walked over to the door. Locked it with a soft click.

"How about... a quick tour of the rest of the dressing room? Before someone comes in."

In a dark corner, among stacked props and costume boxes, he gently pulled her by the waist. Sat her on a table, eyes locked on hers.

"I try to distract myself, I really do...", he whispered. "But suddenly, there I am. Thinking about you. Looking for you in places, in lines, in silences. Wanting us. Just us."

Ash swallowed hard.

"That's... not fair."

"It isn't," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "Because I want you like I've never wanted anyone."

And without hesitation, she kissed him.

It was slow at first. Ash's lips brushed against his softly. Andres responded gently, but she deepened the kiss, pulling him in by the neck with both hands, pressing their bodies close. The kiss grew. Breaths faltered.He held her firmly by the waist, trying to restrain the impulse. But the kiss had a rhythm of its own: a mix of longing and tenderness, of silent promises and desires no longer hidden.She bit his lower lip lightly, and he let out a low moan, resting his forehead against hers to catch his breath.

"Ash..."

She smiled, eyes still closed.

"Shhh... don't think. Just feel."

And kissed him again.This time, there was no holding back.Their bodies understood each other. His hands traced her back, her spine, pulling her closer.Her fingers played with his hair, his neck, his jawline, exploring.

The third kiss was slower. Her mouth molded to his like it belonged there.He kissed her with tenderness, but with a gentle hunger, like he had waited too long to taste her.She smiled against his lips. Kissed him again. And again.

"It seems like my kisses really helped with your recovery," he said, laughing with a little smirk.

"Maybe... but I need another kiss to be absolutely sure," she teased.

Before he could, footsteps and loud voices approached the door.

"Ash? Andres? Are you in there? We're coming in.", AJ said.

They looked at each other, heartbeats racing. Still tangled.

"They're coming in," he said, forehead against hers.

"Let them. We've already done the main thing," she teased, fingers on his chest.

"You're such a tease, my mutya..."

She smiled sweetly. And just as the door handle turned, she kissed him once more, quick, but deep.

The door opened.

Ash and Andres stepped apart instinctively, like two teens caught sneaking around. She quickly adjusted her hair. He pretended to examine a shelf of cosmetics with exaggerated interest.

"There you are!", AJ burst in cheerfully, followed by Yayan, Sara, and Heart.Silence.

Four pairs of eyes immediately scanned Ash and Andres, their slightly swollen lips, flushed cheeks, and the thick air between them.

Heart raised her eyebrows.

"Wow. You two okay?"

Ash cleared her throat. Andres stepped back, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Yep! I mean... we were just reviewing some lines."

"Lines?" AJ echoed, sarcastic.

Sara giggled, smacking his arm.

"It's just that..." Andres gestured vaguely. "It was a little warm in here. And... we were laughing. A lot. And the heat, right?"

Ash looked at him like: "that's the best you could come up with?"

"You're even sweating, Andres. Heat from laughter or... something else?" Sara asked.

Ash folded her arms. Narrowed her eyes.

"Did you come here to chill or to look for us?"

"To chill," AJ answered a little too fast.

"But this live movie's even better."

Heart added: "And here I thought the peak of acting today was that scene you shot... but apparently, the dressing room was even more 'cinematic'."

Andres moved toward the door.

"Yeah... we're gonna go now. Time to rest. Right, Ash?"

"Exactly. Breathe. Hydrate. All that."

Ash opened the door like nothing happened.

"Good night, everyone."

"Good night, lovebirds," Yayan replied.

Andres chuckled, defeated.

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In front of Ash's apartment

The night, warm and quiet, wrapped the streets in an almost surreal calm.Ash still held the bouquet on her lap, as if the scent helped her stay grounded.But nothing felt grounded.

In the driver's seat, Andres tried to keep composed. Hands steady on the wheel. But his fingers tapped nervously.

They had almost been caught.Almost.But the truth was: he could still feel her mouth.Still tried to convince his body that the kiss was over.

Ash turned to him, voice low:

"They totally noticed."

"Completely," he replied without looking away from the windshield.

"We're terrible at hiding this."

They laughed together.

"Dres?"

"Hmm?"

"I thought you were going to kiss my forehead when we left the dressing room. Did I imagine that?"

He looked at her. Eyes warm, slow, dangerous.

"I was. But then... you kissed my mouth."

Ash grinned, leaning in.

"Wanna try again? I promise not to interrupt."

He leaned in slowly. Kissed her forehead gently. Then paused, close, and whispered:

"But now... I want to kiss the rest too."

She froze for a beat.

"We have filming tomorrow," he said. "And an event on Friday. Then... a bit of free time over the weekend. We could take advantage of the... opportunities."

"You're making a schedule now?"

"I'm good with logistics."

Ash leaned in once more and, without warning, left a quick, intentional kiss on his lips. A kiss that said yes, but also slow down.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything."

Andres let out a soft laugh, his voice husky:

"All of this feels... like a lot. But at the same time... not nearly enough for everything I want to give you."

She slowly pulled away with a light sigh and a soft smile.

And before he could say another word, she was already out of the car. Her loose hair danced with the night breeze. The flowers in her arms. Her scent lingering.She turned at the last second, standing at the curb, and said with a crooked smile:

"Good night. Dream of me."

And disappeared into the building.

Andres stayed there. Still. One hand on the wheel. His breathing uneven."I didn't know she could be that... intense.", he muttered.

And smiled, fingers brushing his lips, remembering every kiss they shared that day.

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Author's Note:

The quoted excerpts from Book 2 of Ang Mutya Ng Section E are from Chapter 146, titled 'Frustration' - Written by Lara Flores.Special thanks to @DVirani908 for contributing brilliant ideas to this chapter.If you'd like to see something specific happen in the next chapters, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.

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