The First Curse of Love
72. One Day, When We Are Already Adults

When Danny opened his eyes in the morning, the first person he saw was Qiara. And so on, Qiara's face would always be the first face that would greet her as she awoke from her sleep.

In the past, Danny once regretted his birth which was the beginning of all the suffering that Dean had to endure. However, once Qiara is present in his life as his best friend and first love, Danny feels that his birth is not so futile. Qiara made it valuable.

Danny smiled, then pulled the woman into his arms. Hugged his shoulder and landed a kiss on the top of his head. For a moment, Qiara moaned softly. He then tightened his arms and drowned his face in Danny's chest which had always been Qiara's 'comfortable place.

"Danny, let's go to sleep a little longer!" Qiara muttered in her hoarse voice after positioning herself in Danny's arms.

Danny did not immediately reply, he just fixed the thick blanket that covered their bodies and closed his eyes again. "Thank you for being born into this world for me, Qi." Danny's whisper was right in Qiara's ear.

If Qiara did not return to him, and preferred to remain with Dean, Danny could not imagine how he would continue living after. Just imagining it was enough to make his heart feel like it was burning. Just imagining it was enough to make him feel extremely frightened.

Starting from that feeling of fear, Danny re-opened his eyes that had been closed, he looked at the face of Qiara who fell asleep carefully, another shadow reappeared, what if later Qiara would be in Dean's arms, what if later Qiara would be in Dean's arms, instead of sleeping in his arms like now? What if later, he would only be Qiara's sister-in-law, and everything they had gone through would only be part of the memories that they would later laugh at together when they remembered him.

Danny felt the pain again. He kissed almost the entire face of Qiara, and covered her with a brief kiss on her lips before hugging her even more tightly.

An hour later, Qiara wakes up earlier than Danny. He went to the kitchen and made breakfast for the two of them.

As Qiara was making an omelette, she suddenly gasped as she felt both of Danny's hands creeping around her waist. Danny stuck his chin on Qiara's shoulder after giving one brief peck on his cheek.

"Can you wait at the dinner table? I'm busy now." Qiara.

The next second Danny nodded. Instead of following Qiara's words, he hugged Qiara's waist even tighter.

Qiara resigned, and continued his activities even though it was a bit forgotten.

"Qi, I'll see Brother Dean." Said Danny to Qiara who was laying his head on Danny's lap while reading a novel.

After finishing breakfast, the two of them decided to read a novel together. Danny sat on the sofa, while Qiara laid down his body with his head in Danny's lap.

Qiara took his attention off the novel he was following, then looked up to Danny, "good decision!" Praise Qiara.

"How were you yesterday with Brother Dean?" Danny asked hesitantly as he recalled that Qiara had not told him anything about his meeting with Dean yesterday.

Qiara let out a long sigh, "yaaaah.we finished what was supposed to be completed. And we did it well. Now, it's your turn, Mr. Producer Danny Adhitama!" Qiara replied with a mischievous smile while looking at Danny's nose.

"What does it mean to 'finish what should be done'?" Ask Danny who doesn't understand. He needs a more specific explanation.

But Qiara who was questioned instead put his shoulders with a look as if he was sneering at Danny.

"Qiaaaa! I'm serious!" Grumpily Danny with a mimic that actually looks very adorable in the view of Qiara.

...****...

"Where's it, Ma?" Danny asked his mother as soon as he got home. At that time, Faradina was preparing dinner for them with Mother Sri.

After nearly three months, they were finally able to fully regroup.

"Sister on top, in Papa's study. Ke—" Before Faradina finished her words, Danny immediately ran towards the second floor to catch up with Dean. Because it was impatient to meet his brother, Danny even passed his Papa just like that when it was down the stairs.

Sadewa looked at Danny in astonishment. Not long after, Sadewa continued his steps.

"His son would rather meet his brother than his father." Said Sadewa who immediately greeted Faradina with a smile.

When he heard the door open, Dean, who was reading a book on his desk, raised his face. The unpleasant look on Danny's face became the main sight in the room, in a very awkward state.

"K—Kak Dean?" Call Danny hesitant while trying to regulate his breathing that is still stung due to walking half-run from the bottom floor.

Dean sighed softly, very quietly with an unreadable look of the eye.

"Dann, are you here?" Dean asked pleasantries.

Danny then stepped closer to his older brother after closing the door. Suddenly, all the sentences Danny had prepared for Dean faded away. His brain was suddenly dead, his tongue felt twisted with his throat as if stuck.

"Sister Dean... Danny wants to talk." Danny forced himself to open his voice though it was very difficult at first. "Danny—"

"Lo doesn't have to apologize. You love each other, nothing can separate you. From the beginning, I was the one who was too arrogant, thinking that I could snatch Qiara from you." Sela Dean seemed to be able to read Danny's head.

"Kak—"

"Continue all your plans that had stalled three years ago, Brother will no longer be a barrier between you. And Danny..."

"Yes?"

Dean got up from the chair he had been sitting in. He then approached Danny, patting one of his shoulders like he was instilling a strength and confidence in his only sister. "Thank you for sacrificing so much for you all along. And Brother wants to apologize, for all the attitude of Brother since the first time Brother came home. Sorry, because Big Brother always lives by always blaming lo, as well as Papa and Mama."

"It's Danny who should be apologizing to Brother Dean. Because Danny was born, Danny's gonna ruin all of Brother's happiness."

"But you've brought back all that happiness in my brother's life, Danny. Brother realized it too late, because all this time Brother was too focused on the suffering of Brother. That thing, makes Big Brother go blind with all your affection."

It was quiet for a while, before Danny got back to his voice, "Sister?"

"Hm?" Mumbled Dean.

"Gue knew, this might be so disgusting to you, but—" Danny continued with a tight hug for his brother.

Dean who had been surprised at the beginning, now began to feel amused. The awkward and cold atmosphere between them finally melted away.

"Gue dear elo, brother. I'm proud and very happy to be born as your little sister."

"Danny, stop! I'm disgusted!"

Danny just shook his head in his brother's arms. Not long after, Dean was finally able to accept Danny's embrace after successfully getting rid of all his gel taste. A few seconds later, Dean nodded. He then gently rubbed the back of Danny's head fondly.

...****...

Qiara and Alisha went down simultaneously after finishing their work that day. Along the way they kept laughing after exchanging stories with each other. But once they arrived at the lobby, Alisha's laughter suddenly muffled along with her footsteps that increasingly slowed down.

Qiara, who had begun to realize that Alisha was a few steps behind her, immediately turned around and looked in wonder at Alisha, who was standing, looking straight ahead with a surprised face, "why stop, Cha?"

"What's he doing here?" Ask Alisha in a very slow tone. The direction of his eyes had still not changed, so inevitably Qiara turned her head as well, following the direction of Alisha's gaze.

The smile on Qiara's face froze in just a few seconds. His eyes began to tremble when he saw a figure that several years ago had become a frightening specter for him. That person is Pricilla. Pricilla Renata Lee's.

After regaining his consciousness, Qiara sighed softly. Although from a distance, but he can read the look on the face of Pricilla who like to talk to him.

But before Alisha could take her first steps, Qiara held her wrist. "Let me, Cha. Anyway, there's something I also want to take to Prissy."

"But, Qi..." Denied Alisha who was worried.

"Everything will be okay, Cha. I promise. And you go home first, don't wait let alone me nemenin."

Before Alisha denied it again, Qiara had already left before Alisha and walked confidently towards Pricilla.

"Hey, Qi. Long time no see." Sapa Pricilla awkwardly raised her right hand to invite Qiara to shake.

From how Pricilla greeted and looked at her, not a single hint of Qiara felt the intimidating gurgle of Pricilla.

"Hay too, Priss. Lo how are you?" Welcome Qiara while replying to Pricilla's hand.

"Gue's good. Sorry for suddenly coming nyamperin lo kayak gini. I really want to ngabarin first, but confused about where to go, hehe..." Pricilla chuckled softly.

"It's okay, Priss." Qiara replied after disentangling their posts.

"And how are you?"

"Okay, I'm good too."

...****...

Danny had just finished dinner with his family when Alisha suddenly called him and said that a while ago, Qiara left with Pricilla. Danny who could not read what was going on was of course anxious about the meeting. So Danny continued to try to contact Qiara, but Qiara refused his call.

Danny, who felt he had lost his mind, decided to catch up with Qiara. But just before leaving the house, Danny knew he had received a message from Qiara.

But Danny chose not to heed the message, and followed Qiara as far as he could.

...****...

"Gue happens to have some business here, but it's all done. And tomorrow morning I'm going straight back to New York. So still here, I think there is no harm in meeting you to really solve the problem, and all our heartache in the past. Well from three years ago, even seven years ago, I really couldn't be an adult. At that time, I was too fond of Danny because before I never really found a figure like Danny. But I never realized, if the affection it makes me very selfish to hurt your heart, Qi. And now, I sincerely want to apologize for that."

"Priss, it's all over, I—"

"Make you may have passed, Qi. But not for me. For three years that guilt kept haunting me endlessly." Pricilla gripped the coffee cup in her hand firmly with a bitter smile on her face.

"Gue also apologized for always ignoring elo in the past, Priss. It's really nice, but I always act like a bitch. If there's anything much more immature between the two of us, it's definitely me, not elo."

Pricilla then raised her face which a moment ago only focused on staring at the cup in her hand. This time, he smiled warmly at Qiara. "We used to be just girls in their early 20s. People say, at that age we make a lot of mistakes, become selfish and stubborn, fall, and even hurt each other. I was just a jealous girl."

"And I'm just a girl who failed to move on from her ex." Tymphal Qiara's.

Then they both laughed, with a feeling that was also as light as a feather.

When they finished their laughter, Pricilla made another confession, "three years ago Danny said, one day I will find someone who can love me in an amazing way. And exactly a year ago, I've found that guy, Qi. For this reason, I want to finish everything so that I, elo, Danny, and that person can step without any feelings that block."

Hearing Pricilla's story of someone she had already managed to find, made one smile full of sincerity painted on Qiara's face. Qiara then said, "gue doesn't know who that person is, but he must really love Elo, Priss."

Pricilla nodded in agreement, "his name is Eugene Choi. He's Korean-American. I've known him since he moved to New York. We're college friends. He said he liked me from the beginning, just didn't have the courage to do anything."

Pricilla's face looks very radiant when telling about her lover, while Qiara looks so eager to listen to him.

"Lo must love him too, right? Your eyes say everything."

Once again Pricilla nodded. This time both of his cheeks looked red.

Not long after that, Danny suddenly appeared between them with a breath of breath, like he had run very fast to approach Qiara and Pricilla.

Seeing that Pricilla immediately hissed cynically, and threw a satire for Danny. "Why do you have to run away? You think there's gonna be a second part jam-pumping scene between me and Qiara?"

Qiara immediately snorted her laughter.

"Kalian—" said cut Danny who was still trying to regulate his completely chaotic breathing rate.

"Look, I didn't say anything about your Qiara, really." Pricilla Sahut.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked in the end after managing to catch his breath.

"We've done it all, Dann." This time Qiara answered.

Danny who immediately understood what Qiara meant, immediately smiled at Qiara and Pricilla in turn.

"Oh, yeah, Dann..." Said Pricilla after remembering something.

"What?"

Pricilla did not answer. He looked down for a while before finally looking back at Danny, "I've met my Papa. And now, Mama I'm no longer forbidding me from seeing my Papa."

Danny smiled with relief afterwards.

"And another one, I kept my promise to you three years ago. I've found someone much more handsome than you."

Pricilla is bragging about her lover. That's what Danny's capable of catching.

Danny then laughed crisply after listening to the words of Pricilla, in his heart he secretly felt grateful because now, this once fragile woman finally grew into a figure that shone brilliantly. Pricilla has even found a very strong pillar, which will be able to support it to continue to stand firmly.

"Can I hug you?" Imbuh Danny slowly while opening his hands in front of Pricilla.

Pricilla who was initially surprised to hear Danny's question, immediately turned to an unkind feeling for Qiara before her. Namu instead of showing an unacceptable look, Qiara smiled with sincerity while nodding her head at Pricilla as a sign that she was willingly giving permission.

Pricilla then stood up, giving one hug to Danny— a warm friendly hug. Now they can really be friends. A true friend, without pain, without any regrets. Implicitly they had agreed; to leave all the painful past far behind.

Qiara, who had been a spectator since then, finally got up from her chair, and then gently rubbed the back of Pricilla's head.

"You did well, Priss. We're so proud of you!" Said Qiara proudly.

^^^To be Continued...^^^