After all those kisses, Yelena lted down against him, lying sprawled across Mika's chest like a woman who had just found her salvation.
She didn't know if it was because of the flood of kisses that still lingered like warmth across her face and neck, or if it was simply because Mika was finally back, finally holding her like this again, but every nerve in her body felt rejuvenated.
She felt lighter, brighter, almost as if ten years had fallen away from her shoulders in a single rush, as if she had been granted youth again just by resting against him.
She thought that if she could keep him like this, sit here on his lap, cling to him as he breathed steadily under her, then she would never need anything else, she would gladly give up every other treasure and comfort just to preserve this simple, perfect mont.
She told herself silently, desperately, that this ti it would never go away.
But then Mika's palm rose and patted her back gently, rhythmically, like he was signaling an end.
"Yelena..." He said quietly, but firmly. "I know I'm interrupting your little dream mont right now, but I think it's ti you got up."
Her body shuddered as if he had poured a cold splash of water down her spine.
"What? Why do I have to do that?"
Slowly, she lifted her head from his chest, blinking at him with confusion, while Mika smiled wryly, brushing his fingers over the tear-streaked edge of her cheek.
"Well, we've had enough hugs and kisses for tonight, don't you think? You've been smothering for so long I swear I'm feeling dizzy. And look at you..." He pointed, almost teasing. "...even though I'm not wearing lipstick, you've got my marks all over your face."
"...So, it's about ti you sat off to the side instead of on . So, go on, over there, by my side. Sit close, but not on top of ."
But Yelena wasn't listening to the actual words. All she could hear was go away. All she could hear was you're pushing off.
Imdiately, outrage and heartbreak rose in her chest like a storm.
"What are you saying, Mika?" She demanded, her voice trembling. "Just a few monts ago you told you'd co back! You told you wouldn't push away anymore, that you'd accept my love, my heart, and now here you are, telling to sit at the side like so...so substitute pulled out of the ga!"
Her hands clutched his shirt tighter, her eyes glistening with fresh tears.
"Were all those words just lies? Was it all fake? Did you just steal my heart only to throw it aside again?"
She looked at him as if he had robbed her blind, as if he had stolen sothing precious from her soul to which Mika sighed, his shoulders sagging at her dramatics.
"Yelena...it's not like that. I'm not pushing you away."
She glared, still unconvinced, until he tilted his head towards the television behind her.
"Today was supposed to be movie night. That's the whole reason I'm sitting here in the first place. But tell , who in the world watches a movie like this?"
He gestured at her sitting astride him.
"With a woman right on top of them, blocking the screen? It's impossible to watch anything this way. That's why I'm saying, sit by my side, so we can both actually watch."
Her breath caught, her anger softening into confusion, then relief. "So...you're not pushing away?" She whispered.
"No." He said simply, shaking his head.
Imdiately her lips curved in a wide, giddy smile, and she threw her arms around him again, squeezing.
"Oh, Mika, you scared half to death."
She pressed her head against his shoulder, her voice soft and happy.
"If that's all you ant, then we don't need to move at all. Look..." She shifted slightly, nestling against him while angling her head. "...now I'm not blocking you anymore. You can watch the movie in peace like this."
Mika tilted his head, glancing sideways at her clinging form. "…I can." He admitted. "But you can't. All you can see right now is the side of my face and the back of my head. That's not much of a movie, is it?"
She smiled sweetly and pulled back just enough to et his eyes.
"That's more than enough for . Didn't I tell you already, at dinner? Whenever I'm with you, I'd rather watch your face than any silly film. Watching your reactions is more entertaining than anything on a screen."
Her words were honey, but Mika's brow furrowed. He leaned back and said bluntly.
"That might be fine for you, but I've got a problem with it. I want to watch comfortably, without soone glued to my lap."
"...I'd rather relax and focus on the film without worrying about you fidgeting on ."
"Oh please." Yelena scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "That's not even a problem. Just pretend I'm not here. I don't weigh anything anyway. You could think of as a blanket."
She then leaned in closer with a playful smile.
"I bet you don't even feel my weight, right? You'd say I'm light as air. Isn't that right, Mika?"
She tilted her head, waiting for the expected reassurance, that she wasn't heavy, that she was light as a feather.
But to her surprise, Mika's eyes shifted away, guilty and evasive. He didn't answer.
Her smile faltered. Maybe he hadn't heard. So she repeated, more insistent this ti.
"You really can't feel , right? I don't weigh anything at all. Isn't that what you're going to say, Mika? Isn't that right?"
But again, silence. His gaze avoided hers, his lips sealed tight.
Yelena froze, then slowly her expression twisted into incredulity. Her voice dropped, dangerously quiet.
"…Why are you looking away, Mika? Why are you avoiding my eyes? Almost as if what I'm saying is true. Almost as if you're trying not to admit it. Almost as if you're really telling that I'm...fat."
Mika grimaced and finally turned his head back towards her. He exhaled heavily, then said in a asured tone,
"…Well, to tell you the truth. "
Her eyes narrowed to slits, her lips pressing together, daring him.
"To tell the truth?" She repeated slowly, with a dangerous, expectant edge. "Go on, Mika. Say it...Let hear you say those words."
Her look was dangerous, as though daring him to take the next step and Mika froze for a beat under that sharp glare, his stomach rumbling the way it always had in the past whenever Yelena put him under pressure.
He rembered too well how it used to be: her prideful comnts, her playful boasts, and then the inevitable glance toward him, waiting for him to nod, to agree, to confirm her beauty or her strength.
And back then?...He always did.
Every ti. Because he was terrified of the alternative. A single flick of her wrist, a playful but terrifyingly real threat of that sword of hers, and he would be flat on his back, humiliated and aching.
So he learned to be her "yes boy" echoing her words with nervous agreent just to keep the peace.
But not tonight.
Tonight, sothing rebellious stirred inside him. He wasn't that boy anymore, he wasn't the submissive little Mika who feared her shadow.
He was a man now, and he wanted to push back, just to see her face when he did, so his lips curved into a slow smirk, catching her completely off guard.
"Normally..." He said evenly. "I'd agree with you. I'd say exactly what you wanted to hear, because that's what the old did. But this...this is the new ." His voice lowered as his smirk widened. "And the truth is...you have gained, Yelena. Just a little."
Her eyes widened instantly, disbelief flashing across her features. Mika pressed on, leaning back like he was comfortable in the fire he was lighting.
"Back then, when you'd flop on during naps or hug down to the ground, it didn't feel like much. You were light, manageable. But right now? Let's just say my legs are starting to feel a little numb."
His gaze flicked up and down her body with obvious challenge.
"So yeah, sothing's definitely changed."
For a mont, silence reigned. Then Yelena's lips curled into an incredulous smile, her teeth clenched as she hissed.
"Mika. You did not just say that...Tell I didn't just hear you say that."
"Oh, I said it." Mika replied without hesitation, leaning closer, his smirk daring her to react. "Said it, ant it, and I wouldn't mind saying it again if it didn't sink in the first ti."
The two of them locked eyes, her gaze blazing, his steady and unflinching. For the first ti in years, he wasn't backing down, and a rush of satisfaction ran through him at the sight of her frustration.
"What are you going to do about it, huh?"
He challenged, voice low but firm.
"Chase around with your swords? Scold ? Try to scare ?...None of that works anymore, Yelena. You can do whatever you want, but it won't stop from telling the truth."
But Yelena...didn't flinch. Instead, her lips curved into a slow, confident smile. She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and looked down at him with a regal air.
"Do you really think your words can wound , Mika?" She asked smoothly. "That calling heavier than before will make crumble?"
"...Well, let inform you, that I'm also not the sa Yelena who needed your constant approval. I don't need your validation, not anymore..."
"...I know who I am. I know what I look like. I don't need so ungrateful brat's approval to feel good about myself."
Her pride radiated from her in waves, her tone firm, her gaze steady.
And Mika, instead of feeling shut down, only grinned wider. Sothing in him sparked at her confidence, a mischievous little fire. He tilted his head, looking at her with deliberate mischief.
"Oh, is that so?" He asked softly, leaning in close enough that their noses nearly brushed. His eyes glinted with playful nace. "If you really don't care what I say...then let's test that theory right now."
Yelena blinked, caught off guard by his sudden intensity. A strange shiver ran through her, not of fear but of anticipation.
Sothing in his tone, in the way he was looking at her, felt dangerous in a way that made her pulse quicken...
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