After all those kisses, Yelena melted 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 moment.

She told herself silently, desperately, that this time 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 moment right now, but I think it's time 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 me 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 time you sat off to the side instead of on me. So, go on, over there, by my side. Sit close, but not on top of me."

But Yelena wasn't listening to the actual words. All she could hear was go away. All she could hear was you're pushing me off.

Immediately, outrage and heartbreak rose in her chest like a storm.

"What are you saying, Mika?" She demanded, her voice trembling. "Just a few moments ago you told me you'd come back! You told me you wouldn't push me away anymore, that you'd accept my love, my heart, and now here you are, telling me to sit at the side like some...some substitute pulled out of the game!"

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 something 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 me, 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 me away?" She whispered.

"No." He said simply, shaking his head.

Immediately her lips curved in a wide, giddy smile, and she threw her arms around him again, squeezing.

"Oh, Mika, you scared me half to death."

She pressed her head against his shoulder, her voice soft and happy.

"If that's all you meant, 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 meet his eyes.

"That's more than enough for me. 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 someone glued to my lap."

"...I'd rather relax and focus on the film without worrying about you fidgeting on me."

"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 me 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 time.

"You really can't feel me, 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 me that I'm...fat."

Mika grimaced and finally turned his head back towards her. He exhaled heavily, then said in a measured tone,

"…Well, to tell you the truth. "

Her eyes narrowed to slits, her lips pressing together, daring him.

"To tell me the truth?" She repeated slowly, with a dangerous, expectant edge. "Go on, Mika. Say it...Let me 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 remembered too well how it used to be: her prideful comments, 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 time. 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 agreement just to keep the peace.

But not tonight.

Tonight, something 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 me did. But this...this is the new me." 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 me during naps or hug me 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, something's definitely changed."

For a moment, 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 me 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, meant it, and I wouldn't mind saying it again if it didn't sink in the first time."

The two of them locked eyes, her gaze blazing, his steady and unflinching. For the first time 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 me around with your swords? Scold me? Try to scare me?...None of that works anymore, Yelena. You can do whatever you want, but it won't stop me 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 me, Mika?" She asked smoothly. "That calling me heavier than before will make me crumble?"

"...Well, let me inform you, that I'm also not the same 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 some 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. Something 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 menace. "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.

Something in his tone, in the way he was looking at her, felt dangerous in a way that made her pulse quicken...