Chapter 35 My Love vs Your Love

Without letting another second pass, Jonathan closed their distance as he swiftly pulled Stefani in his arms. Jonathan's heart was filled with overwhelming emotions he couldn't pick what to attend to first. He felt Stefani's body tremble against him as the younger continued to cry and Jonathan, for the first time, became the most impatient person in the world.

He said without a hint of hesitation, "Let's get married."

Stefani, upon feeling the warmth she desperately longed for the past ten years, pulled away from the hug and stared at Jonathan.

Jonathan looked directly into Stefani's eyes, held Stefani's cheeks softly, and gently wiped the tears off her face as he spoke, "Let's get married... not out of obligation, not out of responsibility, not out of order from anybody. I don't care what other people say. I don't care if they know about it or not. I don't care whether we're the only ones who know about it. I don’t care how many times we do it. But let's get married. Let's get married and live together and do everything together... Marry me, Stefani."

Stefani remained silent as she just stared at the person in front of her. The two stared at each other for a while before a tear fell from Stefani's eye. Finally breaking eye contact, she buried her face in Jonathan's chest and wrapped her arms around Jonathan. Then a small nod behind giant tears made everything better.

Slowly, a smile made its way on Jonathan's face as he hugged Stefani tighter and kissed the younger's head.

They stayed like that for a while, just feeling each other's warmth they had longed. It seemed as though words weren't needed anymore as the two sighed, out of relief, out of tiredness, or maybe out of all the things they had to go through when they were apart. That, for sure, only the two of them knew.

Jonathan and Stefani.

Both hated each other's guts they fought a lot of times for a long time. Both assumed and thought wrong of each other. Both had their hearts in pain for years. Because of misunderstandings, they closed themselves from everybody, including one another. But just as love was a strong emotion, hate was, too. And if people look closely, they would find it amazing as it was still the thing that brought their hearts together again.

Hate. Was it really the opposite of love? Or were they the same all along?

"Indeed, a person who hates too much is a person who loves too much," Mr. Hernandez mentioned as he received the call from Pacholo. He glanced at Jane and continued further, "This generation's kinds of love are really extraordinary. Don't you think so, Jane?"

Jane softly laughed as she nodded in agreement. ”I absolutely agree, dad.”

"You're not... going to Japan anymore, right?" Stefani asked once they had calmed down and were now inside Jonathan's car in the airport's parking lot.

"You said I have to listen to you from now on and that I'm not allowed to leave without you, right?" Jonathan recalled the younger’s words and teased.

Stefani blushed at that so she looked away immediately. "W-Why do you have to say it that way? I don't mean it that way, okay? I-If you want to leave, then do it!" Why is Jonathan suddenly being naughty? Does he have no shame at all?

"Do you think I'd be able to leave now?" Jonathan smirked as he looked at the windshield. It was cute, Jonathan thought; does Stefani really think Jonathan could still leave after hearing her confession? "Ten years... I think I already gave you enough time for yourself. So, this year and the following years," Jonathan turned his head to Stefani and looked at her with eyes full of love, "I want you to spend them all with me."

The blush on Stefani's face darkened as she swallowed down hard, her eyes unable to meet Jonathan's own now. If only hearts could explode, Stefani's would've done it by now! Thinking about it now, just where the hell did she find the courage to say such things earlier? Was she stupid? Did she become stupid after coming back to the city? Gosh, just thinking about everything she said and did the past hour made Stefani want to dig a hole and live in it forever!

As she was silently cursing herself, the car started to move, and off they hit the road.

"W-Where are we going?" Stefani asked Jonathan upon noticing it then.

Jonathan's eyes were straight on the road as he gave a short reply, "Your house."

Stefani felt clueless, "Huh?"

Jonathan sighed, after a quick yet deep thinking he did earlier, he had decided on one thing, "I'm going to ask your father's permission."

Stefani couldn't sit still, "Permission on what?"

The car stopped as the light turned red. Jonathan gave a serious look at Stefani and said, "Let you marry me and live with me."

"Ask my father..." Stefani's eyes slowly went wide as she absorbed what Jonathan said. "WHAT?!!"

And off the car moved again. Jonathan was smiling from ear to ear while Stefani looked as if she was hyperventilating and would faint soon.

This feeling we have for each other. If this isn't hate, what could it be, I wonder. Then I stop wondering. You said there's no need to find it anymore. Our feelings, whether it's hate or something else, I shall treasure this mystery as I stay with you. Today, tomorrow, and forever.