Yeah, this should've been posted last August during Buwan ng Wika in the Philippines. Sorry 'bout that.
Anyway, this takes place some time after my previous UKPH story. And there are slightly more mature implications. Enjoy anyway.
Arthur began pacing back and forth in his study for ideas. He and Maria had been dating for nearly a year now and he wanted to do something special for her since it was "Buwan ng Wika" in her place.
"What in the world shall I do? I've got to do something remarkable for her."
He did consider cooking her favorite dish, but he knew that she cooked it better anyway (plus, he sucks at cooking). He could take her around parallel universes, but that would tire her out.
"AAAAGHHH! Is there anything I can do?" screamed Arthur, catching the attention of his elf butler, Winston.
"Master Arthur, is there a problem?" asked Winston.
"What? Oh, it's nothing, Winston. I'm just freaking out." Arthur answered.
"Freaking out about what, sir?"
"I can't seem to find the perfect gift for my girlfriend."
"Well sir, if I may, I believe you should give Miss Maria something from the heart. You do love her, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Always and forever."
Winston put a silver tray with a teapot and cup next to Arthur.
"Don't worry too much, Master Arthur. The idea will come to you."
"Thank you, Winston."
After Winston went on his way, Arthur spotted Maria's iPod on his desk. He was confused about why it was there, but he suddenly remembered.
"That's right. She left it here last night when she stayed over." he thought to himself as he picked it up. "I wonder if any of her songs can inspire me to find the right gift."
The blond man attached his headphones to his girlfriend's iPod and hit shuffle.
Uso pa ba ang harana?
Marahil ikaw ay nagtataka
Sino ba 'to, mukhang gago
Nagkandarapa sa pagkanta
At nasisintunado sa kaba…
"Hey, this song isn't bad. It's actually pretty good. I wonder what the title is."
He looked at the screen and read the title.
Harana – Parokya ni Edgar
"Hmm, interesting. Although, who is Edgar and what is a 'parokya'?"
Just then he heard a knock on his door. He put down the device and ran towards the door to answer it.
"Hi honey." a petite, brown-haired girl greeted.
"Oh. Hello, Maria. What are you doing here?" asked Arthur, madly blushing.
"No reason. I just felt like seeing you." Maria smiled.
Arthur smiled back and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Then he cleared his throat and straightened his tie.
"Well, I'm very glad to see you as well. You look very cute today." he said as he blushed.
Maria was blushing as well and giggling at her boyfriend's flustered face. She grabbed onto his hand.
"Thank you. You know, I had a lot of fun last night." said the girl, referring to their tryst the night before.
"So did I. Though, I never knew you could do that."
"Neither could I. But when I'm with the man I love, I think I can do anything." said Maria while playing with his tie.
"I know you can do anything. I love you so damn much."
"I love you, too."
Without another moment to spare, Arthur and Maria started to passionately make out. They opened Arthur's bedroom door and continued to kiss on his bed. Then suddenly, Arthur remembered that he had to give back Maria's iPod.
"Hey, Maria. I—"
But Maria put her index finger on his lips before he could finish.
"Shh. Hold that thought, my love." she whispered. The blond man looked at his lover's eyes and knew exactly what she wanted.
Two hours later, they were snuggling up to each other under the covers. They grinned at one another and kissed softly. Maria put her arms around her lover.
"So, what were you going to tell me, Arthur?"
"Huh? Oh, right. You forgot your iPod here last night."
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's quite all right, my dear. I'll just go fetch it for you."
Arthur quickly put on his pants and went to his study. He unplugged his headphones and took the iPod with him. He returned to the bedroom and gave the gadget back to Maria.
"Thank you, Arthur." Maria smiled.
"You're welcome."
"Um, Arthur?"
"Yes?"
"Can I stay here for the rest of the afternoon?"
"Of course. Would you like to watch a movie with me?"
Maria nodded. Arthur put in a DVD and went back under the covers. They continued to cuddle as they watched the movie. Arthur kept thinking about his gift for her.
"She only deserves the best. This gift needs to be the best she's ever gotten."
Nightfall soon came and Maria had to leave before it got darker. She kissed Arthur goodbye and went on her way. Arthur then went to his computer to search for the song so he could download it.
"Let's see… 'Harana'." he said as he typed it. He pressed "Enter" and some results popped up. He clicked the download link and while it was downloading, he curiously searched the other links.
"Oh. Turns out "Harana" is not only a song. It's also a way to serenade your lover."
He read more of the details and how to do it.
"Wait…"
A wild thought appeared in Arthur's head.
"What if I serenade her? Yes, I'll do a Harana! With the song itself! It's the perfect gift; she'll love it!"
Then he realized something "But…I can't speak Filipino." muttered Arthur rather sadly. Flying Mint Bunny flew over to comfort him.
"What wrong, Arthur?" asked the cute creature.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. It's just that I want to serenade Maria with one of her favorite songs. But it's in her native language. I don't know much Filipino. I know that 'Mahal kita' means 'I love you', but that's pretty much it."
"Well, if you ask me, I don't think you need to know what the lyrics exactly mean. I think what's important that your feelings for her will reach to her heart. And she'll feel more touched that you'd serenade her in her native language. You may not understand the lyrics, but she will and she'll appreciate it, no questions."
"Flying Mint Bunny, fetch my guitar, please." requested Arthur with a passionate look in his eyes.
For next few days, Arthur slowly learned how to play the song, thinking of Maria after every strum. Learning the lyrics and trying to pronounce the words properly was quite difficult for him, but his love for his girlfriend allowed him to persevere.
Finally, he was ready. But before he opened his door, Winston called for Arthur.
"Hold on, Master Arthur!"
"Yes, Winston?"
"I think you should wear this. She'll love it." Winston said as he held up a barong Tagalog, a traditional Philippine outfit for males that Maria gave Arthur for his birthday.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? Thank you, Winston." Arthur thanked his butler as he quickly went back to his room to change.
"Anytime, sir." Winston nodded.
Arthur soon reached Maria's house and threw some stones at her window. It wasn't long until she opened the window.
"Arthur, what are you doing? It's quite late, isn't it?" questioned Maria, rubbing her eyes since she just woke up.
"I know it is. But you need to listen to this." said Arthur as he pulled up his guitar. He began strumming and Maria recognized the song almost immediately.
"Oh my God. He's playing my favorite song." she thought to herself.
Uso pa ba ang harana?
Marahil ikaw ay nagtataka
Sino ba 'to, mukhang gago
Nagkandarapa sa pagkanta
At nasisintunado sa kaba
Meron pang dalang mga rosas
Suot nama'y maong na kupas
At nariyan pa ang barkada
Nakaporma naka barong sa awiting daig pa minus one at sing along…
"No way. My boyfriend's singing in Filipino." Maria marveled as Arthur continued to sing.
Puno ang langit ng bituin
At kay lamig pa ng hangin
Sa'yong tingin akoy nababaliw, giliw
At sa awitin kong ito
Sana'y maibigan mo
Ibubuhos ko ang buong puso ko
Sa isang munting harana para sayo
As he continued to sing, Arthur looked up to Maria, who was madly blushing and smiling. This sight made him smile as well.
Hindi ba't parang isang sine
Isang pelikulang romantiko
Hindi ba't ikaw ang bidang artista at ako ay iyong leading-man
Sa istoryang nagwawakas sa pagibig na wagas
Puno ang langit ng bituin
At kay lamig pa ng hangin
Sa'yong tingin akoy nababaliw, giliw
At sa awitin kong ito
Sana'y maibigan mo
Ibubuhos ko ang buong puso ko
Sa isang munting harana para sayo
After finishing that last chord, the blond man looked up to the window again. But Maria seems to have disappeared.
"Where did she go?" he asked himself.
Just then, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Maria, madly blushing, smiling and with a little bit of tears on her eyes. She leapt into his arms and kissed him passionately.
"I love you." the petite girl said.
"I love— Mahal rin kita." Arthur answered. Maria's face continued to shine a bright shade of red and so did he. They held a long enough gaze to know what happens next.
Soon enough, Arthur carried Maria, whose hand was on his chest feeling his heartbeat, inside, then upstairs, and lastly, to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed, took off her slippers, and pulled the covers over her. She pulled up a section of the blanket, inviting Arthur in. Arthur nodded, took his shirt off and went in. He put his arm around Maria's shoulder. The girl began to speak.
"You are the sweetest person in the world, Arthur. Singing my favorite song for my special month, even if you can't speak Filipino. I could feel those lyrics reflecting what's in your heart."
"To be honest Maria, I didn't exactly know what those words meant…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I didn't even check the translation for it. I just wanted to learn the song to sing for you, regardless of the lyrics. Flying Mint Bunny told me that you'd understand the lyrics anyway so—"
But before he could finish his explanation, Maria shut him up with a kiss.
"It's okay. You may not know what your message means, but I do. And it's the most beautiful message you've ever given me." Maria said as she embraced her boyfriend.
"The only thing more beautiful than that is you."
The blond man brought his girlfriend's face close to his and planted his lips onto hers. Maria happily kissed him back and they both started to gently tug on each other's hair. Arthur shut off the lamp and their bodies began to shuffle in the dark as their feelings got stronger and stronger.
Author's Note
All I can say that hopefully this will boost more interest in this ship. Maybe I can write more about them if I'm inspired.