Using a clean cloth, I dip it in white paint and smear the tint on my painting. The white gives the canvas a smokey, eerie effect. It makes the dark black bark trees in the background appear faded, lost in the illustration. With pulled in eyebrows, I dab a row of lime-green paint to make the forest alive.

I sigh, using my sleeve to wipe the sweat rolling down my forehead. It didn't come out the way I thought it would. Giving the forest life contradicts the mysterious effect I was naturally going for. What can I do to complete the piece? Maybe darken the shade of the grass to match the mist effect.

"That could work," I mutter to myself, dipping my paintbrush into the glob of black paint.

With a flick of my wrist, I color in the corners of the canvas, obscuring the bright green tint from before. The brush strokes left a sour taste in my mouth, so I swap to my fingertips, using them to smudge instead.

Suddenly, I feel a pair of arms shackle around my waist like handcuffs. Pretty sweet steel handcuffs. My eyes fall onto my girlfriend, smiling brightly with a twinkle in her blue irises. The sun streaming through the open shades cast a stunning light on her frame.

"Do you plan to stay in your little bubble all day?" Mika asks, batting her eyelashes. "It's the fourth of July. I want to do something fun together. Our first holiday as a couple."

A smirk spreads over my lips. "As a couple, huh? I don't think I'll ever get used to you referring to us as that. But I'm not just painting. I'm thinking. Or was."

"I could always go away if you say the magic words," she cheekily hits back. "But I doubt that. I could help clear your mind." The lust in her irises dilates as she drops to her knees, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "I heard blowjobs get the job done. What do you say?"

She is so fucking sexy. The desire in her eyes and the way her voice lowers with sultry, pulling me in like my personal fucking light source. I run a hand over my face, contemplating the routes this can go. The idea is tempting when she's flaunting herself right in front of me. I am a man, and the other head between my legs can cause trouble.

I brought my free hand to her jawline, climbing a trail until I brush against her bottom lip, pushing it down. Mika half smirks, opening her mouth to capture my thumb, and repeatedly laps her tongue over it. My dick hardens in an instant. She ends her torture with a -pop-, removing her warm mouth from around my thumb.

"Should I keep going?" Mika asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

I shake my head, trying to diminish the lust spreading in my veins. "A part of me wants to say yes, but you're right. It's our first holiday as a couple, and we should do something to celebrate it. No sex."

Mika's eyes widen. "No sex? That's the perfect way to celebrate! To fuck each other until we're exhausted. Sounds like my perfect day."

I laugh, extending my hand out to her. "Yeah, but we can do that any day of the week. We need to do something special. Different. Experience new things."

"Did your second near-death experience scare the therapist out of you?" Mika asks, dusting the particles from the floor off her dusty pink dress. "Okay. Fine. No sex. That doesn't mean I won't try to change your mind. What do you have in mind?"

"Why don't we bake a cake together?"

"Bake a cake? Seriously?" Mika cheekily retorts. "That's your big idea?"

My eyes narrow. "It's special because we're doing it together. It's an excuse for us to spend time together and eat. Best of both worlds."

"Mmm," Mika hums, tapping her chin. "Well, I do look sexy in nothing but an apron. It showcases one of the best features of my body-- my ass." She tugs at her puff off the shoulder sleeve and takes her arm out of it.

With a shaky breath, I grab onto her clothes to keep her from stripping any further. "While I do agree and love to admire your attributes. I rather not give a free show to the workers in my house." I press my lips against her bare shoulder. "I don't want anyone else to get a look at you. You're all mine."

"Your adorable nose." I kiss it. "Your squishable cheeks." I kiss them both. "Your jaw." I kiss a trail down her jawline. "Your oddly pointed elf ears." My mouth latches onto her earlobe, sucking harshly and earning a soft moan from her. "Your neck." This time I'm sloppy, leaving open wet kisses down her neck. My hand slips through the sweetheart line of the dress, squeezing her hardened peaks between my fingertips.

"Your fucking perfect breasts." I lower my head, savagely sucking on her pinkish nipples like a madman. Mika gnaws at her lip, breathing roughly, as she thrusts her fingers in my hair. She grabs onto a hand full of hair, using it to stir me like her own personal toy.

"Mmmm," she moans, her half-lid eyes drowsy with lust. "If you keep this up... I don't think I'll want to bake a cake. Why can't you take both of us out of our misery and fuck me already? I like it rough, Muñeco."

I laugh as I remove my lips from around her nipples. "I'm sorry to disappoint Princesa, but I'll make up for this later. Right now, we're going to bake a cake and watch the fireworks from the rooftop. It's not the fourth of July without fireworks."

Mika's face is flush pink, fanning herself as she uses her other free hand to fix her dress. "I'm going to get you so good for this, Muñeco. Just you wait."

I'm scrubbing the paint off my hand when Mika struts out the room with attitude lace in her hips. Fuck. She's going to torture me the first chance she gets. I'm equally terrified yet intrigued. Using my uninjured hand, I untie the apron from my waist and hang it on the empty rack, running after my girlfriend. My studio is on the bottom floor, but Mika somehow flies to the fourth foundation where my kitchen is.

"Tomate un descanso. Asiel y yo cocinaremos algo para ustedes," Mika says, helping the eldest chef Sara, untie her apron. "Tienes alguna preferencia?"

(Take a break. Asiel and I will cook something for you. Do you have a preference?")

Sara shakes her head, knocking the bun holding her thin grey hair off her head. "En realidad, no. Solo precocupate de alimentar a Asiel. No ha comido mucho desde que le dieron el alta en el hospital."

(To be honest, no. I'm just worried about feeding Asiel. He hasn't eaten much since he was discharged from the hospital.)

Mika nods, sporting a small smile as she pulls her puffy sleeves up her arms. Why is Sara putting things in Mika's head? I don't need her worrying about taking care of me. She already does way more than I can ever repay. She is my lifeline. The reason I even bother trying to fight my enemies when inside, I'm trembling in terror. Mika taught me to stand my ground, and I will, for her. So, I can spend another day on this lousy planet with the love of my life.

That's the only thing that matters to me.

"She is just exaggerating." An anxious laugh croaks from my throat.

Mika raises her eyebrows with her hands on her hips. "Muñeco, you need to eat if you want your wound to heal. Don't be scared. I'm sorry, I wasn't there last time, but I will protect you." She releases a deep breath, stepping closer and closer. "I won't let anyone touch a hair on your head. Only me."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's a combination of a million things. I don't want to be weak anymore. I don't want to have my girlfriend looking out for me. It's supposed to be the other way around."

She rolls her eyes and moves my hair out of my eyes. "That's what your father wants you to think, but it's not true. There's nothing wrong with needing help from your girlfriend. You shouldn't feel guilt for needing me to fight for you. It's my choice, and I want to."

A sour look washes over my face. "But aren't you embarrassed? To be dating such a weak man?"

Mika's eyes soften, the golden specks glimmering in her irises as she drapes her arms around my neck. "There's nothing about you that's weak. So, you can't fight. It's no big deal. Having physical strength doesn't equal power. What you lack in strength is transferred to your mind, your words, your soul. Believe it or not. You're the strongest person I know."

Her rant causes a smile to take shape on my lips, flushing warmth like a brewing teapot. "That means a lot coming from you. Do you know that?"

She shrugs. "My opinion isn't anything special. I'm just one of the billion souls in this insignificant world."

"That's far from the truth."

Mika taps her chin as she goes to open the stocked refrigerator. "What's on the menu? What kind of cake are you feeling tonight?"

I do a quick glancer-over the ingredients in the refrigerator, trying to figure out what I'm able to make with them. Anything is possible. What would Mika devour in seconds? Chocolate? Nothing can go wrong with chocolate. With my one functioning hand, I grab butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and whipping cream.

"Okay, Muñeco, what are you thinking, or am I just going to follow you around like a puppy?" Mika states, giggling under her breath.

"Do you like cheesecake?" I ask, returning to the refrigerator. "I'm thinking of a chocolate-Irish cheesecake. With chocolate graham crackers barrier? Sounds tasty or no?"

Her eyes light up like a disco ball. "Ahhh, duh! Yay! I'm so excited. What should I start with first, captain?"

My lips curl into a smug smirk. "Preheat the oven to three hundred and twenty-five degrees. Combine all the ingredients to make the base in the bowl. Oh, the bowls are in that cabinet."

"Got it!" Mika announces, getting on her tippy toes to try to reach the bowl on the highest shelf.

My heart expands like a balloon full of love while I watch how adorable she is struggling to grab the bowl. Unable to hide my laughter, Mika cranes her neck and narrows her doe-eyes at me. She seizes a random cloth on the countertop and flings it at me, hitting me straight in the face. I gape at her with parted lips.

"That's what you get for laughing." Mika sticks her tongue out.

"It's not my fault that you're too short to reach the bowls," I defend myself.

She purses her lips. I could see the flame brewing in her irises. "Now, that's personal." Mika stomps over and playfully smacks the hell out of my arm. Except it's my injured arm. "I might be short, but I have the personality to make up for the rest."

A groan slips past my lips as my eyebrows scrunch together from the pain she's inflicted. "Ow, that hurt. You did that on purpose." I rub my injured shoulder, trying to ease the pain.

Her eyes instantly widen with worry. "No, I swear I didn't. I'm sorry, Muñeco." She gently massages my shoulder, sprinkling them with kisses. "Does it hurt? Do you want me to do all the cooking while you rest?"

I stare at her with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I'm not going to make you work double with your fractured hand. You should be resting."

"But mine doesn't even hurt."

"Alright, then we comprise. We will both cook and get drunk together," I suggest, darting my eyes towards the bar in the corner of the room.

"Sounds like a swell idea," Mika adds, walking to the cabinets and trying to grab a bowl. "Now, are you going to help me or keep gawking at me?"

The brightest fucking smile takes over my face as she arches her body against the counter, only an inch away from grasping the bowl. The light pink dress flows back and forth from her movement, heightening her dainty olive tone legs. Honestly, I'm having tons of fun just gawking at her. When you have a girlfriend like mine, it's impossible not to.

Not hiding my ogling, I lean against the cabinet, smiling at her as her frustration spreads through her body like a ticking time bomb. "I don't know. I'm having trouble tearing my eyes off you. Maybe I'll sit back and watch you struggle."

She clicks her tongue but keeps quiet. Using that sexy brain of hers, Mika tries to climb onto the countertop, but I bring the bowl down before she could.

"Seriously?" Mika mumbles.

"I wasn't going to risk watching you hurt yourself," I reply, holding the bowl above her head.

Mika snatches the bowl at lightning speed and begins distributing the ingredients in it. Don't we just love when a woman gets all feisty? I think it might be one of my many weaknesses. Let's be real anything involving Mika is automatically my weakness. Giving her time to cool off, I start working on wet ingredients and stirring them together.

Before we know it, Mika finishes the chocolate crust, and I pour the mixture into the baking pan. She wiggles her chocolate-covered fingers, playing with them by flinging the crust at me. Her breath-taking pearly white smile stretches across her face as the chocolates hit me straight in the eye. She tries to hush her laughter by sucking the food off her fingers, but I think that made matters worse.

In an entirely different way.

A part of me thinks she is trying to get to me.

It's working. It's really fucking working.

Mika brings over two shot glasses filled to the brim to celebrate. "For our first cake as a couple."

I take the shot from her hand and clink them together. "For many more to come."

Ten shots later, Mika and I are screaming our lungs out to summer nights in my backyard. Along with a garden full of flowers, vegetables, and fruit, I have a whole section dedicated to my projector for outdoor movie nights. After throwing back seven shots, Mika had the brightest idea to connect my karaoke machine.

Obviously, I couldn't reject my woman of her request. Struggling like overused cattle, we had to push all the machines outside while being sloppy drunk. It involved a lot of falling, laughing, and screaming.

"Don't mess up your part again!" Mika shouts, her face bright pink from the booze.

"I got it!" The music builds us to my part. "Took her bowling in the arcade."

Mika runs across the yard. "We went strolling, drank lemonade."

With barely any breath in my lungs, I run after her, belting my part. "We made out under the dock."

She glances over her shoulders, tumbling over her feet and falling to the grass, laughing. "We stayed out 'till ten o'clock."

Resting my hands on my knees, I try to ignore the burning in my lungs in order to passionately finish the song with my girlfriend. Mika is giggling on the floor, clutching her stomach as she kicks her legs in the air. Suddenly, I lose the feeling of my limbs and follow Mika to the floor, hitting my shoulder.

"He got friendly holding my hand," Mika sings into her microphone.

A strained attempt at singing leaves my lips. "While she got friendly down in the sand."

Mika takes a deep breath and screams, "He was sweet, just turned eighteen."

Shifting over to my intact shoulder, my heart swells with love as I move strands from Mika's face. "Well, she was good, you know what I mean."

"Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights," we both sing, totally missing the microphone.

At this point, we're putting on a show for my neighbors and staff. Hysteric laughter croaks from my throat as Mika accidentally drops the microphone on her nose. She groans, scrunching up her nose in the cutest way possible as she rubs the tip. A new glossy glimmer shines on Drunk Mika that has my heart crumbling into her hands.

Her eyes crinkle, barely open, staring at me. "Who are you?"

I scoff in disbelief. "Huh?"

"Who are you?" She cocks her head to the side like a puppy would, poking my nose. "Where have you been all my life?" I pretend to bite her finger to get her to stop poking me. "Mr.. my finger is not food. Say it with me. Body parts are not food."

I squeeze the shit out of her cheek. "It's hard to resist biting this cute little finger."

Mika breaks into a smile. "You're almost as cute as my boyfriend. His name is Asiel, and he likes. Wait. Shit. I forgot what I was going to say."

"You think I'm cute?" I tease, arching a brow. "Mmm. Would you break up with your boyfriend and go on a date with me?"

She violently shakes her head. "No, I belong to Asiel Morterero."

I purse my lips. "What a shame."

A breathtaking mixture of purplish and light pink hues decorates the clouds in the dark sky as the sun sets. It's easily picture-perfect. The same could be said about my super adorable girlfriend, lying on the grass. She spreads her arms and legs like a child would do in the snow, creating an angel. Her dress will have dirt smudges by the end of the night.

My eyebrows scrunch in confusion as water droplets graze on my skin. It wasn't from the sky. My body jolts forward, startled by the sprinklers coming to life in my yard. Water squirts from the sprinklers, moving in a circular motion and drenching all our clothes.

"Oh, my god!" Mika shrieks, jerking upward.

She loves it. Mika opens her arms up to the water, sporting a blissful smile. Her baby hair sticks to her skin, framing her heart-shaped face. My plain white tee clings to me like a second skin, displaying my muscles. After letting Mika enjoy the water, I wrap my arms under her shoulders and legs, carrying her inside to my bathroom. 

Alcohol definitely brings out the inner child within Mika.

I gently place her drenching body on the counter. "Stay still, Princesa. I'm going to get you some dry clothes, so we can go watch the fireworks."

Mika nods. "Yes, sir."

I let out a breath, searching through my drawers. I disregard my soggy pants and boxers, tossing them in the basket as I replace them. Mika is oddly quiet in the bathroom. Hopefully, she didn't sneak out through the other door leading to the main hallway. After throwing on a random shirt, I rush into the bathroom with a hoodie and basketball shorts in hand to find it empty, with the other door open.

Damn it, Mika. You couldn't stay still, could you?

Following her wet trail, it abruptly stops, and I catch a glimpse of Mika and my papa staring at each other. My skin crawls as I notice his eyes lingering on certain parts of her body, as if she was a piece of meat. Mika gulps, glue to her spot as her cheeks glow a bright red.

My papa moves his wheelchair closer to Mika, asking her to bend down. Like an animal on display, she obeys his command and gulps at whatever my papa whispers in her ear. My stomach turns inside out. Papa licks his lips and grabs onto her dainty hand. I can't watch anymore.

"Papa, what the hell are you doing?"

Mika pulls her hand away and moves behind me. She leans her frame against my body, trembling from either the cold or my papa. The dark cast in his irises spread like wildfire, glowing brightly in the dim-lit room.

"Solo estoy comprobando el tipo de chica con la que sala mi hijo. Eres mi hijo y te mereces una mujer hermosa," he replies, wearing an eerie grin. "Seguro que es hermosa en todos los lugares correctos. Es una pena que se haya conformado con alguien tan patético como tú."

(I'm just checking out the type of girl my son is dating. You are my son and you deserve a beautiful woman. She sure is beautiful in all the right places. It's a shame she settled for someone as pathetic as you.)

My jaw ticks. "Don't talk to her or ever get fucking near her again."

He bobs his head. "What are you going to do? Have a panic attack and fall to the ground? Me arriesgo."

(I'll take the risk.)

I dig my nails into the palm of my hands, and try to relax the fire brewing in my gut. For a second, I lose all sense of rationality and clench my fist, ready to smash his face, but Mika clutches my wrist.

"Don't swoop to his level," Mika mutters.

Without another word, my papa wheels himself out of the hallway and into one of our many rooms. Fuming with rage, I bang my fist against the wall and make my way to my bathroom. Mika follows behind. Any sense of anxiety disappears from her body and was as cheerful as when I left her.

"Sorry," I mutter. "I should've warned you about him wandering around here today. He just got discharged from the hospital yesterday. I thought he would spend his time locked in his bedroom, but I guess he had a different plan."

Craning my neck back, my mouth drops open to see Mika's dress pooling at her feet. To my surprise, she isn't wearing underwear or a bra, and she squeezes her hair together to drain the water. A warm flush runs up my spine to my ears and cheeks as my eyes do a quick swoop over her perfect body.

Jesus, give me strength.

"It's almost time for the fireworks," I say, handing the hoodie over to her.

Mika pouts, lifting her hands in the air. "Can you help me? I don't want to get lost."

"How do you get lost in a hoodie?"

"The hole is too small," Mika cheekily replies.

Shaking my head with amusement, I stand closer to her that her body heat radiates off me while her strawberry fragrance envelopes my nose. She wiggles her arms through the sleeves and her head pops out from the hole like a mole in the dirt. With a grin that reaches her eyes, she pulls her hair out and fixes the damaged hair tie.

My heart thuds as her eyes drop to my lips for a second. "How did it feel to kiss Tania? D-did you like it?"

I shake my head. "Not one bit. She isn't you. She can't compare. You make the simplest things heart-wrenching painful. You ruined any chance of another girl making me feel something, but I love every second of it." My finger traces her pink plump bottom lip. "Even if you don't ever let me kiss you."

Her breath hitches. "What if I give you permission to kiss me? Right now. Would you?"

The butterflies swarm in my stomach, clenching it. The night can't end without Mika waving candy in front of me. I want to kiss her so badly, so fucking badly. More than my desire to make love to her every night. Kissing Mika's lips is like the final step in this journey to her heart, breaking down all her barriers.

But she is drunk and isn't thinking straight.

My thumb traces circles on her cheek. "No. I wouldn't. We're both drunk, and I want our first kiss to be something we both want. Not something you regret. I want you to want to kiss me, and I don't want to spare the chance of you forgetting it because I couldn't live with that. I'm in no rush, Princesa. Kiss or no kiss, I'm yours. Forever and always."

Mika exhales as I press a firm kiss on the crown of her head. "Forever and always."

A faint explosion sound fills my ears, coming from the distance, and Mika's face brightens like the sun. At record-breaking speed, she burst through the open door and I follow her to my front yard. The sprinklers finish their job, leaving the grass a crystal wet feeling on my toes.

Shimmery golden specks fill the darkness as people unleash fireworks into the sky. The sparkling rays of light leave a smokey haze in the atmosphere, but it's so beautiful. Mainly because I get to experience it with the love of my life. White and pink sparks fill the sky, and Mika is completely mesmerized.

"It's so pretty, isn't it?" Mika asks, her mouth gaping open in an 'o' shape as she keeps her eyes on the fireworks.

Pink, purple, and golden hues light up her face, the fireworks dancing in her eyes. My heart overflows with love for this girl. Something that might be seen as simple to others fascinates her, and it will be my life's mission to give her every experience she missed out on.

"Yes," I reply, staring at her. "Very pretty."

She takes her eyes off the fireworks, meets my gaze, and awkwardly laughs. "You aren't even looking, Asiel. You're missing out."

I shake my head. "I'm not missing out on anything." A small smile plays on my lips as I reach for her hand, entwining them. "Tonight feels different. You seem so happy and aren't trying to hide it."

Mika rests her head on my shoulder. "A little birdie told me I shouldn't stress myself out by trying to figure out what everything means. Go with the flow and be happy. Right now, there's no other place or person I want to be with, and that makes me this happy."

My heart nearly gives out. "I love you more and more every day, Mika."

Hey guys, I'm back!!! Whoop whoop! In time for a perfect sweet chapter for our babies 💜❤️❤️!!! I was away on vacation so I should be back on my regular schedule for now on! There's plenty more of Mika and Asiel to come around! I hope you guys aren't bored of them yet.

Isn't drunk Mika so cute? Also the respect Asiel has to not kiss her like PERFECTION. It's so simple but so many people go ahead and do it. I need to take a second to appreciate that but also can they just kiss🥹😂? What happens if I torture everyone and it never happens.

Who else cringed at Papa Morterero's words? He's so disgusting. I think it's about time he died, who's with me?

Thank you for reading this chapter and I can't wait to read all your comments! Also it's completely insane I'm almost up to 250K reads like I never imagined Mika could reach high numbers like this but I'm truly happy, and grateful❤️❤️💜

Thank you.

Love ya!