7th: "Making Love out of Nothing at All"

A dinner for two by the beautiful baywalk that glowed with the stars and the moon. It was perfect, Midnight cheerfully drove me here and teased me a lot about those little mishaps i had during our early years together. It was, as i have said, perfect.

Days have passed and there was not a single sign of Zephyrus, no one knows if he is still alive. No, i am not being sarcastic nor am i complaining, i am actually relieved that he just vaporized into thin air -- well, sort of.

"That's cute," Midnight quipped from across the table. The restaurant was actually an open area, no walls, no doors, just seats and tables placed strategically to highlight a somewhat circular "dance floor" and a humble but dominant stage where a band played love songs one after the other. The lights glowed magically, even the bay seemed to be an endless artwork of romance. And what made it all better was the man that sat in front of me, his eyes glowing with the happiness i know he must always have.

"What is?", i asked and took a sip from my bottle of four seasons juice, i vowed to not take alcohol -- it's not safe.

"Your face just showed a hundred emotions all at the same time, your mind is travelling again my dear skeptic," he answered with a boyish smile.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I missed that smile."

He reached out and held both of my hands, "It'll never be gone as long as you're with me."

"Hmmmn." My face then lit up with a smile.

"Just hmmn?", he asked.

"Yes, just hmmn.."

Midnight chuckled and inspected the dance floor which was considerably filled with couples, teens and little kids who danced and laughed a lot with their parents. I saw this old couple who were dancing so sweetly by the corner and i remembered my dear granny and grandpa, i held back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Remembered granny?", it was Midnight. He stood before me and stared softly into my misty eyes.

"Uh-huh.", i said and waved my hand, "I'm fine."

I watched him as he drew his breath and blew the few strands of hair that obscurred his right eye, then he offered his hand in a gesture, "Will you dance with me?"

I laughed. He looked too cute standing there like a teenage boy. This man is an angel, i have always believed so. "With all my heart, yes."

...

Old songs never grow old because they have always been old. We danced along Air supply's 'Every Woman in the world'. I had my head against Midnight's, my chin seated on his shoulder, we were held close by a warm embrace. I remembered how these dances made the world stop turning.. how all i can see is him and me in a vast garden of roses and fireworks and the sea. But something about tonight was different, my ears seemed to be drawn to the voice of the man who sang with such emotion, for a split second it felt as though he was singing for me.

Oh how i wished i didn't do what i did next. As the song neared to the second chorus, i lifted my head and opened my eyes only to meet those eyes that captured mine through a lot of those damned champagne. He stood there, looking at me and the man that held me in his arms. And i realized that i was right, he was singing the song for me.

"Zephyrus," i whispered unconsciously. My heart seemed to stop beating, and felt like it was gonna explode. I held on to Midnight tighter, and prayed that he won't notice how shaken i was. I closed my eyes and buried my face deeper into his neck, inhaling his scent and i soon felt my heart beat again. Like the sea after a storm, i was calmed by Midnight's voice that sang along the singer, and i sighed contently like a lovestruck youngster. "I'm every woman in the world?", i whispered playfully into his ear.

He chuckled and leaned his head back that we were facing each other, "To me, yes." then he coyly glanced at the stage and back at me, "Seems to me like he thinks so too. Zephyrus, right?"

I nodded and lened against his chest, "You noticed?"

"I never miss anything about you," he said, "he looks decent enough", he added with a laugh. Midnight then lifted my face and kissed me tenderly, the kiss went deeper and deeper. We were gasping for breathe when we stopped.

"Let's go somewhere else? Somewhere..private.", i whispered and looked into his eyes that mirrored my passion.

"With all my heart, yes."

The music stopped and a new song started, the weight of Zephyrus stare made me look back. Eventually we reached our condo, and took off each other's clothes with an urgency that made the both of us laugh with wonderment.

Minutes later, Midnight lay on my chest, the beating of my heart right next to his ear. "We're positioned in reverse," i joked.

"Your chest is better, softer.", he naughtily said. I gently hit him squarely on the top of his head.

"Jerk."

He laughed so loud and seemed to laugh for an eternity, then he pulled me as he lay on his back -- i ended up sitting on top of him, my nakedness basked in the moonlight, glowing like his skin. "I love you too", he whispered.

I leaned and pressed my body against his, gave him a peck and sighed, "I take it back, you're not a jerk. You're perfect."

In a flash, i found myself in the middle of the dance floor. I looked back and i saw sadness in Zephyrus' eyes, he smiled a smile that said: "I would pull you into my arms and push him away, make love to you with all that i have.. I would do just that if you don't turn your back on me right now." So i turned back. But i can still feel the way my legs refused to move. Like i said, Zephyrus was an arrogant man, and he still managed to give me an order. And i somehow knew that if Midnight wasn't holding my hand, if the stage wasn't that far from where i stood,then i'd be asking rhetorical questions to Zephyrus as we lie naked on his bed like, right now.

"Can a person make love without love?", oh how i longed to ask Zephyrus the same thing. But i turned and met Midnight's sleepy eyes. "Well?"

"Well," he started after a hearty yawn and gathered me into his arms, "maybe."

"Maybe.."

"Uh-huh," he sleepily said.

I chuckled and pinched his nose, "Goodnight my dear, sweet midnight."

And then he kissed me once..twice and spoke, "Dream of no one else but me." and then he drifted into sleep.

I couldn't sleep. Not with the haunting way Zephyrus' shook my world. If i could, i would tell him that to my despair, i do not know either. How i wish i knew.

Zephyrus sang the song with his heart in his throat, and i will probably never forget the lines he was singing as he stared into my core.

"And I don't know how you do it:
Making love out of nothing at all.."

"I'm never gonna make it like you do, Making love out of nothing at all.."