A look into the future

Mia didn't change into anything fancy, just jeans and a white blouse.

It seemed like workout wear wasn't appropriate since Yuzuru dressed up just a little bit more than usual.

In no time she was going down the stairs and meeting his eyes and those beautiful flowers once again.

Why did he have to make this harder?

Why was he so different than any other man that she had crossed paths with?

Was it possible not to get heartbroken when her breath hitched whenever he looked at her, her heart beat faster when he was close and her body was so drawn to his?

Yuzuru was sitting by Alex's side, apparently trying to help the boy with one of his math exercises.

"It's useless, Yuzu. Alex knows how to do it, he has been looking at the paper for half an hour to see if I do it for him. It's always like this when it's Math."

"Mom!" The boy complained, not happy that his mom had outed him so openly to a smiling Yuzuru.

"Stop trying to be smart and use that brain to do your homework." She told him sternly before starting to put away all the papers that she had left on the table while working.

"Someone has been working hard" the skater said as he noticed just how much stuff she had scattered.

"I'm just messy when I try to think."

"Hard case?"

"Just a bunch of corporates that think their assistants are hookers."

"Ouch... Is that common?"

"More than it should. And then it's up to the company lawyers to fix the lawsuits for sexual harassment."

"Sounds hard to fix."

Yuzuru visibly winced at that and she smiled gently.

"It pays the bills"

"You don't like your job?"

"I like law, I studied it for a reason, but focusing on corporate wasn't what I imagined."

"Then why? You could be doing something else."

"I started in Immigration, even if I always wanted to work in the Criminal system. It was just that after being a mother, it got harder to see difficult cases that involved children."

"And you went into business?"

"Yes, it paid better too."

Yuzuru seemed to understand that as he looked briefly at Alex, who was now focusing a bit more on his homework and apparently doing the exercises that he had been delaying.

"You should probably finish quick if you want to spend some time with Yuzuru before he leaves." Mia told her son with a smile and that seemed to make him a bit more dedicated to finishing the whole thing faster.

"Food should arrive in half an hour."

"No hurries... Do you want anything to drink or eat while we wait?"

"I'm good, thank you."

And then, the silence was back, with Mia feeling slightly uncomfortable at his attentive eyes looking at her and seeing her every reaction.

"Hum... I'll place the flowers on water."

She said weirdly, not knowing what to do while they waited and Alex was otherwise preoccupied.

"Ok."

Mia moved slowly in the direction of the kitchen with the bouquet in hand taking a vase and filling it with water before placing the carnations there.

They looked beautiful against the white and grey of her kitchen furniture, decorating it beautifully, as if he had thought of it previously.

She was staring at them when he came into the kitchen and stopped his steps right behind her.

"Are you ok?" He asked, almost in a whisper.

"Yeah."

"You're shutting me away." He stated even before she turned to face him.

"Do you blame me?"

"No, I understand it. Still hurts to see."

She gave him a forced smile.

"I wish we had more time."

"You have no idea how special you are, Angel. Going back to Japan has never hurt me like this."

His hand touched her cheek and even if her brain told her to pull away she couldn't do it. Mia wanted him to touch her, bring her closer, and into his warmth. She wanted him to tell her that everything would be ok.

It wasn't easy for her to show this side to anyone, not after spending years guarding her sensitive side.

"But you have to go."

"Yes. I have a show starting soon and we have all sorts of meetings and costume fittings that I have to do. If I could..."

"I know."

Mia found herself hugging him and placing her head tucked on his shoulder. For a few seconds, she could just pretend that he was attainable and that this feeling was possible every day.

"We will keep in touch, right?"

He mumbled into her skin, almost hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't as hard as they were making it.

"I want to... But I understand if you forget about us when you're in Japan."

Yuzuru made her look directly at his face before uttering the next words.

"That will never happen."

"You can't know for sure... Eventually there will be a Mrs. Hanyu and I doubt she will want you speaking with a foreigner."

He just waved his head in a no motion.

"You have no clue, Mia, do you?"

"About?"

He stopped for a few seconds as if considering if he should say what was truly on his mind.

"My mom is the only Mrs. Hanyu that you need to worry about."

Mia was about to ask for clarification, because she never seemed to be sure of anything when he spoke with so many subliminal meanings. Of course, the delivery man chose that time to finally arrive and break their moment, leaving her once again confused and uncertain.

Why can't he just say what he means?