Rules on Relationships

"Never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary" -Oscar Wilde
"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly" -Sam Keen

I've learned that I wasn't perfect, but I knew that, though because of people's expectations on Michael, he was built up to be someone who was perfect, but he wasn't as well. He was just a man with a dream to win medals at the Olympics and make both his Family and America proud, and his personality was as goofy, lovable, and occasionally irritating, but those were the things that made him human. Though we grew to look pass our faults, we ignored the flaws and saw each other to be perfect.
Sometimes I wonder how he managed to enter in my life, how I came to fall for a man like him.
Just staring at him made me think more and more about why he would fall for me as well. I had no special talents, not to mention lazy and unfit. I was an average person.

Love (verb): "have a great affection for"

I had to look it up the moment I got home yesterday.
I knew what love was and what it meant, but I never knew how it felt and how great of an impact it made within a serious relationship between two people. Michael surprised me with what he said, and he reacted the same way as I did when I told him that his feelings were strongly reciprocated.
I guess he didn't expect me to feel the same way, huh?
"When did it happen?" He questioned. I could only giggle as I denied answering him until he told me first. I knew he was happy again because throughout the whole time he spoke, chuckles escaped his lips and his eyes brightened up compared to when we reunited yesterday. His arms were wrapped around me and held onto my hands while we lay in my bed, we had the blankets over us and the sun just peeked through the curtains, his lips continued leaving kisses on my bare shoulder. I closed my eyes as he answered, "The moment you walked out the door."
"So, you realized that a week ago?"
"Yeah, but I actually knew since Hawaii."
"And you waited for a while to tell me?" I said in confusion. He faintly said, yes, and explained that he didn't want to say anything that might drastically screw up the thing we had together. His explanation was rather different to how I thought, which made me smirk and snuggle a bit closer to him. His body pressed against mine and I could feel his breath as it warmed my skin. It was already 10:30am and we've actually been awake since six or seven in the morning, and we heard Lia leave for her morning jog at eight and arrived back an hour later.

I just hoped she didn't hear anything last night. She got home pretty late though.

"You still haven't told me." Michael then pleaded. "Tell me."
"The same as you," I confessed and shuffled around to face him, staring eye to eye and a subtle smile curved on my lips as I added, "But I wasn't exactly sure if it was accurate until we had this break."
"Well, now you know," He smiled and pressed his lips on my forehead.
I let out a yawn and covered my mouth. I had morning breath, and yes, that meant that I didn't wake up an hour before he usually did just to go to the bathroom to make myself presentable for when he woke up. I guess I had to get used to it because of him, he didn't like it when he woke up and didn't see the fresh-looking me. Well, the other reason was that Michael had his arms around me in a tight bear hug, so I couldn't really get out of bed at all. I figured he knew I would still get up regardless of what he said.
"You're beautiful," He whispered.
"And you're handsome," I compliment as I placed my hand on the side of his face and leaned to kiss him. But then the stomps made by my best friend stopped us, she probably knew that we were awake and impatiently waited on us to walk out so she could interrogate us. I let out a discrete giggle as I turned my head and peeked at the bottom of the door. There was a shadow that paced back and forth. Lia was wide awake, and she finished her run a while ago, so I guess she had something important to tell me if she hasn't left to go somewhere else.
A knock tapped onto the door not a minute later.
"Love birds, get out of bed, it's nearly 11 and I bought food!" She yelled from the other side.
Oh, how I love my best friend's straightforward personality.
Michael and I laughed and told her that we'd be out in a minute, her footsteps faded followed after "you better be".
"I think we should get out of bed now," I yawned once more despite the fact that I didn't want to move away from him. I rolled out of bed and pulled a robe that dangled by the edge of the bed and quickly covered my body, which caused Michael to laugh and comment, "You know, I've seen you naked so many times already, so you don't have to keep covering yourself whenever you roll out of bed."
"Take it one step at a time, Mikey," I playfully replied with a wave of my finger. "You should be happy to know that I didn't get up this morning just to make myself pretty for when you wake up," I pointed out quite proud of myself while combing through my hair with my fingers before tying it up into a loose bun. I looked back at Michael and found him already wearing his pants and lazily pulling his shirt over his body, his hand swooshed through his hair twice before he looked at the mirror and was already pleased with himself.
Michael looked at me with a muddled expression on his face. "What?" He asked before looking back at the mirror to see if there was something on his face. I only laughed and walked out of the room.
He can be gullible and self-conscious sometimes.
But that's one of the many reasons I love him.

In Love (with): "feeling a strong emotional (and sexual) attraction (for)"

I would often tease Michael to say those three magical words to me in public, even though it was still the beginning of our phase, the four letter word would never get old if he said it over and over again. I haven't told anyone of his confession yet, well, except for Lia, but she tricked us into telling her during breakfast the other day. Her constant teasing when we were together made other friends tease me of my boyfriend at work or in Campus whenever they overhear what we were talking about, though it was okay at first, it eventually began to make me feel how Michael felt when I teased him. I apologized to him about it, and it was on the same day he decided to publically declare he loved me. The hundreds of students in the Swimming facility who heard what he said spread it like a virus.
Everyone knew and spammed my phone with messages by the end of the night.
Michael assured me that it was something we needed to get used to, though he confessed that his phone was on constant vibrate as well and he got scolded for the unwanted attention again.

"I swear I'm fighting with Herman for your affection," Michael sighed as we sat in the grass at the park with his dog casually sitting his head on my lap. We decided to walk Herman after he was running amuck in his house while we had lunch. I gave Herman a pat on the head as he looked at me. I smiled and spoke to the dog like a baby. "Aw, Herman, don't listen to him. Big Mikey is just a bully, isn't he?"
"I guess someone's going to sleep with Lance tonight," He threatened which made the dog growl and stand up to go to him, but Michael decided to throw the toy he brought along to a reasonable distance, and his pet disappeared just like that. I laughed and told Michael, "I find it weird how you're jealous of your dog."
"No one should take your attention from me," He hissed as he grabbed me to get closer to him and locked our lips together for a quick smooch. We were interrupted by Herman, he returned with his toy and dropped it by our feet, and then his body plunged into his owner as he began to lick Michael's face. I covered my mouth and distanced myself as Michael managed to escape to reach for the toy and threw it further than last time. I watched him wipe his face with his handkerchief before he called me closer, but I shook my head and said, "Hon, you've just cheated on me with your dog. I'm not going anywhere near you! And you're covered in saliva."
"Really? Come wipe it off please." He began to get closer to me. I continued to shake my head left and right and shuffled away, but he got closer and closer.
"Michael, there's dog saliva everywhere! I don't want to get near your or it'll be all over me too!" I debated to get closer and eventually stood up with my hands in front of me in defense.
"I don't know where, so you'll have to come help me wipe it off." He was purposefully tormenting me as he stood up and initiated to grab a hold of me. I knew what he was up to the moment he deviously smirked my way.
"Ah, no! Don't come-" I ran.
"-Got you!" Michael wrapped his arms around me from behind and tugged me to the grass. I landed on my back with a laugh as his face rubbed against different areas of my shirt, and even all over the sides of my face. I couldn't escape because he had his arms around me in a tight grip. My arms were trapped as well, so I couldn't even push him off me.
"Michael! Haha, stop it! Ah! Honey!!" I exclaimed in between my giggles as he also tickled me with his sneaky fingers.
"Now I'm clean," He grinned as he lifted his head and looked at me with a proud expression. "Thanks babe."
My lips parted as I tried to catch up with my breath. He loosened his hold on me and I was able to wriggle my arms from under him and gave him a playful slap on both cheeks before I pretended to sulk, my head turned away to avoid his eyes because I knew that if I had eye contact with him, the act would be over.
"Babe," He whispered. I wouldn't budge or look at him. "I know you'll smile," He confidently stated. I had to bite on my lip to resist... But it failed, my lips curved and I was back to facing him. His lips were curved too before they were planted on my forehead, my nose, both cheeks and my chin, but not my lips. I let out a complaining groan, but he only shook his head instead and he said, "I don't think I should cheat on Herman too."
"Fine, if that's how it is-" I leaned forward and stole a kiss from him before finally being able to escape. I ran towards Herman and wrapped my arms around the dog as he calmly sat there with his toy in his mouth. I watched Michael get up and dusted his bottom while he stood there looking at his dog and I. "I love you, Herman!" I yelled to him.
He let out a laugh and yelled, "I love you too, Herman."

Some people passing by stared at us with confused expressions. Others let out a mouthed 'aww' as they listened in. The bystanders were beckoning towards at us with their friends, the kids were laughing and pointed out that we were expressing our love to a dog, and all the while, Herman sat there with no care in the world.

But Michael's simple whistle managed to whisk Herman away in an instant. I was left alone with me head down in shame, I lost just like that. I sighed and picked up the dog's toy and walked towards my boyfriend in defeat, but he gave me a loser's hug before grasping a hold of my hand and squeezed on it tight. A snicker escaped his lips as we began to walk towards the footpaths.
We walked by some people who recognized Michael, while a few knew who I was too. About five people stopped us in our tracks to say send a warm 'congratulations' on our happy relationship and wished us well for the future, but there was an elderly couple who approached us by the traffic light just so they could say a few words to us. They gave us a compliment on how strong our chemistry was and how our love was visible - even when we weren't doing anything other than holding hands and occasionally looking at each other, and they advised us to not waste our youth on the negative things and remain happy with one another.
"Elderly couples like them makes me hopeful that we'll still exist," Michael smiled as he lifted my hand near his lips and gave my skin a light peck. My heart raced and began to analyze if he was serious or joking.
Did Michael believe that we'll still be a couple when we reach that age?

But that was just another step.

"I have something important to ask you," Michael said out of the blue when the silence lingered in our phone call. He was out of town again, he and Bob were back in Baltimore for the weekend to practice with the Aquatic Club there as well as inspire children to take up swimming.
"Shoot," I spoke to the phone as I lay flat on my back. It was way passed my bed time, and like usual, Michael called me in the later hours of the night just so he could be the last person I talk to before I pass out. I was particularly tired that day because the workers in the Ice Cream Parlor had a friendly game of Volleyball that day as part of our team building program, and I told my dear boyfriend that I wanted to sleep early because Lia suddenly decided to take me running with her in the mornings after my unfit - yet acceptable - performance that day.
"Mom's been asking me to take you here and she's been nagging me for a while," He dragged his words, and I was on the verge of falling asleep. "But I think it's time I introduce you to my Mom."
My eyes shot open and narrowed. I suddenly had a jolt of energy run through my tired body.
"Babe, don't tell me you fell asleep!" He complained.
"No, no, I'm here," I stammered. My hands were starting shake. "Oh God, are you serious?"
"Well, yeah, when am I not?" He chuckled. "On my birthday, you'll come with me to Baltimore for a couple of days and I want to properly introduce you to Mom."
My hand swept over my face, from forehead to chin, before I slammed it to the side as he added, "Don't be nervous, I think my Mom will love you as much as I do. She was actually the one who insisted since we started dating."
"Um, okay," I faintly agreed.
"Great!" Michael nearly yelled. I could hear his Mother at the background asking him if he knew what time it was and telling him to get off the phone to go to sleep. "Well, get to bed, I'll see you soon," He calmly said. "I love you," He whispered as though he didn't want his Mother to hear what he just said. I said the same and said goodbye before I hung up, I slammed my phone on the other side of my bed before I rolled onto my stomach, my face slammed into my pillow and a groan escaped my lips.

I was about to meet Michael's Mother in person. And her opinions of me are of great importance.
Oh boy...