CHAPTER 130: JUST SLEEP AND FORGET ABOUT IT

Yelena’s head was pounding, every thought circling back to the same unbearable place. No matter how much she tried to push it away, it clawed back into her mind, the wetness between her thighs, the truth of what her body had done in response to Mika.

It was unbearable, confusing, terrifying. She pressed her fingers against her temples, massaging them as if that could chase the headache away.

Finally, with a shaky sigh, she surrendered to her oldest defense mechanism.

’Don’t think about it. Just don’t think about it and go to sleep.’

That had always been her way, when things became too complicated, too painful, she would let the night carry them away. She told herself that once she got some sleep, once the sun rose, it would be a new day.

She would wake refreshed, clear-headed, and she would treat Mika the same as always. Whatever storm had torn through her mind would be gone, erased, like it never happened.

So she crept back into bed. She slid under the covers, curling close to him, burying her hot face against his chest as if to suffocate her thoughts.

His arm curled unconsciously around her waist, heavy and warm, and she shut her eyes tight, whispering silently that tomorrow would be different, tomorrow everything would be back to normal.

But morning didn’t wash her sins away.

By the time sunlight filtered through the curtains, Yelena’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion. She had barely slept, tossing and turning with images of last night replaying behind her eyelids.

Her body still remembered, the pulsing heat between her thighs, the stickiness on her skin, the humiliation she’d tried to swallow.

And now, standing in the kitchen, knife in hand, she was a mess.

Her movements were clumsy, slow. Normally, breakfast was nothing for her, vegetables chopped in seconds, fruit sliced neatly, everything tidy and efficient.

But today, every cut dragged like her hand weighed a ton. Her eyes stung, her breath uneven, her thoughts replaying what she had sworn to forget.

’It’s not going away.’ She realized, staring down at the uneven slices of carrot on the cutting board. ’This...feeling. It’s not going away at all.’

She was so lost in thought she didn’t hear the footsteps until a warm, teasing voice broke through the silence.

"Here I was wondering where that delicious smell was coming from. But of course, it’s from you, Yelena, where else could it be?"

Yelena stiffened, the knife pausing mid-cut. And then she felt it, arms sliding around her waist from behind, strong hands circling her wrists and pulling her back against a firm chest.

Her breath hitched.

"M-Mika..."

"Good morning, Yelena."

His voice hummed low against her ear, soft but thick with warmth. He leaned close, his breath brushing her skin as he pressed himself against her.

"Seems like you’ve been cooking up quite a feast for us."

Normally, she would have melted in this position. Normally, she would have smiled, teased him back, leaned into his warmth like it was the safest place in the world.

But today, today his embrace was the last thing she could handle. Because he was the reason for everything she was feeling, the reason her body had betrayed her, the reason she couldn’t think straight.

Her entire body went rigid in his arms. She froze, knife still in hand, shoulders locked, unable to respond.

And Mika noticed.

He didn’t frown, didn’t pull back. Instead, he smirked against her neck, letting out a breath of relief.

Because for a brief moment, he had worried she would forget. That she would bury the memory of last night, sweep it under the rug, and return to the same old Yelena who laughed and teased and ignored what was growing between them.

But her frozen reaction told him otherwise. Her mind was still trapped in the haze of what happened, the same haze he wanted her drowning in.

He exhaled softly, almost in relief. ’Good. She hasn’t forgotten. She can’t forget.’

A sly smirk curved his lips.

If she thought she could bury it in sleep, if she thought routine would erase it, he would make sure her body and heart never allowed her that escape.

So, leaning down, he tilted his head against her shoulder, his lips brushing the curve of her neck.

And then, without warning, he pressed a kiss to her skin.

"Mm—!" Yelena jerked in shock, a soft gasp spilling from her lips before she could catch it.

But Mika didn’t stop. He kissed again, slower this time, lips dragging against the sensitive slope where her neck met her shoulder.

"Mmm!♡~ Mmm!♡~ Kiss!♡~ Mmm!♡~ Slurp!♡~"

His arms held her firmly against him, his chest pressed harder to her back as he let his mouth wander, warm, insistent, utterly unbothered by her trembling.

Yelena’s whole body burned hotter the more his lips roamed. Each kiss down her neck was a spark on dry tinder, igniting her nerves until she couldn’t keep still, the knife quivering slightly in her hand.

Finally, trembling, she tilted her flushed face back toward him, eyes wide and desperate.

"S-Stop, Mika...please stop." She gasped, voice breaking. "I have a knife in my hand, if you keep playing around like this, it’s dangerous!"

But Mika only chuckled against her skin, his breath warm, his mouth grazing her pulse before planting another kiss there.

"What a joke." His tone was mocking and affectionate at once. "The battel angel they call the Blade Maiden, a woman who can summon and control millions of blades without breaking a sweat...scared of cutting herself with a kitchen knife? Hah, utterly ridiculous."

"I-I’m serious! I need to finish this." She squirmed, her face glowing red. "Breakfast isn’t ready, and lunch still needs to be packed, just let me work, Mika, please!"

She tried to push at his arms, but he didn’t budge; instead, he pressed forward, squeezing himself against her soft butt. The sudden grind of his hips made her gasp, a sharp sound breaking from her throat before she could swallow it down.

"Busy?" He murmured, kissing the nape of her neck, making her shiver. "Looks to me like you’re nearly done. All that’s left is a little fruit for salad...and you’re cutting so slowly anyway, I don’t see the harm in this." His lips dragged lower, his teeth grazing her skin.

"No, Mika...P-Please stop." She whispered, her voice unsteady, her body betraying her as it arched back against him. Heat pooled in her belly, her thighs pressing together as though that could hide her reaction.

"No, I wont, Yelena." He countered, his voice firm, amused. "Just as I discovered from last night, I love seeing you flustered like this. Embarrassed, trembling, trying to resist but melting anyway. It’s too beautiful to stop."

Hearing this, her knife-hand trembled, her other hand braced on the counter for support as the haze built inside her head.

It was too much, too fast. Desperation filled her tone as she finally turned around and choked out.

"Please, Mika...please stop right now! I really can’t handle what you’re doing to me now."

The firmness in her voice, though weakened by her hazy eyes and trembling lips, was enough to make him pause. He stilled, studying her flushed face carefully.

"What’s wrong, Yelena?" His voice had shifted, now laced with genuine concern. "I thought you’d like this...you’re always telling me to kiss you, to hold you. I thought surprising you would make you happy. Don’t you want me kissing you?"

Her eyes widened in panic. She shook her head frantically.

"No! No, it’s not like that, Mika, don’t misunderstand. I...I do. I love it when you kiss me, when you hold me. There’s nothing wrong with that." She turned her gaze away, shame flickering in her expression. "But it’s just that..."

Mika leaned in slightly, searching her expression. "Just what?"

Her lips parted, then faltered, words stuck in her throat.

How could she possibly tell him the truth, that her body’s reactions last night, the gush of shameful wetness, the dizzying heat in her chest, were all signs of feelings she shouldn’t have?

That her role as her mother was supposed to keep him as something else entirely, and yet her heart wanted him like a man? She couldn’t.

Her eyes darted to him, then snapped into a glare, her instinct kicking in to divert.

"Forget me for a second, mister. Why exactly are you so affectionate this morning? Since when do you wake up hugging and kissing me like this?"

"In the past you barely even said good morning, you’d just steal the lunch I made and run off without a word."

"Now suddenly you’re acting like the perfect doting son. What’s going on here, hm? Did you do something wrong, and now you’re trying to sweeten me up?"

Her suspicious gaze fixed on him, sharp despite the pink flush across her cheeks.

"Nothing like that. I just...wanted to surprise you." Mika chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You looked so down this morning. Even from afar, I could see how slowly you were cutting those fruits. You were clearly worrying about something and I thought maybe a few kisses, straight to the heart, might cheer you up."

For a moment, Yelena’s expression softened, gratitude flickering through her eyes. He noticed. He always notices. The warmth in her chest threatened to melt her resistance.

But then his hands slid lower, bold and unashamed. His palms cupped the round swell of her ass, squeezing it firmly, kneading the flesh as though it belonged in his hands.

Her breath caught in a sharp gasp. "M-Mika!"

His smirk widened against her neck as he groped her brazenly.

"And then there’s the matter of this." His thumbs pressed into her curves as he spoke. "This outfit hugs you so tightly...your ass looks incredible in it. How could I resist?"

"Honestly, just having these cheeks in my hands is enough to make me a happy man for the rest of the day."

"A-ahh...mmh!" A whimper spilled from her lips despite her attempts to hold it in. Her body arched instinctively under the pressure of his hands.

Her fluster deepened, panic swimming in her eyes as she looked back at him.

"What are you doing, Mika?" Her hips twitched under his brazen touch, heat pooling low in her belly. "This isn’t...it’s not right. We...We shouldn’t..." Her words tumbled over themselves, her voice weak and pleading. "It’s not something we normally do...!"

He stopped then, but not to release her. His eyes searched hers, confusion and something darker swirling in them. He didn’t want to let her escape, so he decided to recount what happened last night to show that he didn’t forget.

"What are you talking about? We’ve already done so much more than this. Last night...you let me touch you, kiss you everywhere. We said things we never said before. I told you how much I love your body. So, I thought we’d moved past the walls between us. I thought now, we could be honest. Open. Closer than ever."

Her breath caught. His words cut straight through her defenses, making her chest ache.

"M-Mika, but...but that was last night." She stammered, trembling. "Last night was different. It was...it was just a moment. We don’t have to bring it up again. We should forget it. Forget it all, and go back to how things were, like nothing happened. Please, just forget."

Mika stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head slowly, firmly.

"Forget it? Why would I ever do that? You’re the one who wanted me to open up. I did. I told you the truth, everything I felt, everything I wanted. And you know what? It made me feel lighter. Closer to you."

"...I thought you would feel the same. Why in the world would I want to erase last night, when it made us closer than ever?"

His voice was steady, filled with conviction, leaving her with no room to hide. Her breath shuddered in her chest as his words pressed against the fragile walls she had built around her heart.

And she realized, with growing dread and heat alike, that he wasn’t going to let her run from this...