16

Heartfelt Conversation

Miia is in the darkening living room. The lights are off. She is sitting on the couch, looking at her hands resting in her lap.

My steps don't make her rise her head.

I approach her. "Miia."

"Oh." Her head perks up and she gives me a weak smile. "Darling."

"Why didn't you turn the heater on?"

"Oh, that, I…" Her head sinks again. "I'm fine. I don't need it."

I don't speak. The dark in the room and her own indifference has not enabled her to notice me wearing only a T-shirt.

The heater turns on and the room starts to turn warm. Miia, who was sitting with her arms glued to her sides, loosens up.

I sit down beside her. She doesn't move.

"Miia."

After no reaction from her, I wrap my arms around her. The tension in her body loosens further when she rests her head against my shoulder and starts weeping.

She grabs fistfuls of my T-shirt as she digs her head further into me.

I smile as I pat her head. "There, there, my love."

Crying is only the first stage to going back to her cheerful self.

I pat her back along with her head.

"Are?" She sniffles as she looks down at my crotch. "Darling, are you…"

"Yes." I grin as she looks back at me, her tears paused in the corners of her eyes. "I'm going commando under this T-shirt."

"Why would you…"

I pull her into me, cutting her off. When she tries to speak again, my kiss makes sure she won't be able to make intelligible words.

When our kiss breaks, she lowers her head on my shoulder.

I feel the coldness of her tears on my skin, contrasted against the heat in the room.

I pat her head. "There, there, my love."

"I didn't mean to do that, Yamato," she sobs, her body heaving.

"Even if you did, I don't mind." I press her into myself.

"I… uh?" She looks up at me. "You don't?"

I smile and pinch her cheek. "Of course I don't, baby girl."

"I thought you…" She sits up straight, her hands on my thighs and not on my back.

"That I was angry beyond reason because you tried to kill me?" I chuckle.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." She nods, her expressions serious like a child expecting a bribe.

"Well, that wasn't true."

"But why not?"

"Let's take this from the beginning, shall we?"

She nods, bringing her face closer to mine.

"You saw me fall into the water with Mero. What you actually saw was the birth of another rival, another person you have to share me with. That aggravated you, didn't it?"

"Yes." She lowers her head and then lifts it with an intense look in her eyes. "That was it."

"So, you jumped on me to prevent that from happening, hurting me in the process."

She cups one of my hands in both of hers and kisses it.

"So, I don't think my anger is in order here." I put my forehead against hers.

She gazes back into my eyes, her eyes misty, mouth a little open.

"You did what you did out of love for me, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh." She gives a sleepy nod and blink of the eyes, her smile unconscious.

"'What's done in love is well done.' So, I'm not angry with you, Miia. Even if anyone is, it's out of concern for me."

"You mean Cerea?" The sleepy look in her eyes disappears.

"Yes."

"Mo." She looks away with a pout. "Darling no baka."

"Miia." I give her an above-the-rims look.

She continues looking into the wall, her pout relentless.

I kiss her forehead. "I will not be angry with you if whatever you do is out of love, as long as it's not hurting anyone else."

"I understand." She looks back at me with a smile. "I will try."

"Good girl, Miia." I pat her head.

Her smile widens under my hand.

"Darling." She fidgets, blushes, and then throws herself into me. "Can we… I want to…"

Laughter escapes me. "Sure we can, Miia. We both want the same thing right now."