Selene froze mid-bite, the noodles still half in her mouth.
Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"Milan… are you… magician… or superhuman?" she asked, her voice trembling between amazement and confusion.
"Not only me," Milan said with a sly grin, "you're superhuman as well."
Selene blinked, her cheeks suddenly warming. Her mind immediately ran wild.
"I'm also superhuman? So… does that mean when a superhuman and a normal person… do that thing…
Her face flushed deeper. Wait—no, I'm not rea—"
Thwack!
Milan smacked her lightly on the head.
"You little—your thoughts are becoming darker by the day," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Selene rubbed her head with both hands, lips curling into a pout and eyes sparkling mischievously.
"You already started hitting me when we're not even married, hmm?" she said, pretending to sulk adorably.
Milan sighed, patting her head and squishing her cheeks with the other hand.
"I have to discipline you well," he teased. "You can do the same to me. And for your information, you were already superhuman before even meeting me. That's the reason I accepted your father's offer."
With her words muffled by his hand on her cheeks, she managed, "I alwaz thougght I'm zommething speceeall—ahh! That hurts! So what's my superpower? Being a fairy? Can I grow wings? Super beauty? Eternal youth, huh?"
Her excitement shot through the roof. She folded her legs up on the chair, leaning dangerously close to Milan, eyes bright like a child discovering magic.
"Yes," Milan said, trying to keep a straight face. "Your superpower is being eternally dumb. Hahaha!"
He burst into laughter, barely able to breathe.
Selene's jaw dropped. She pinched his cheeks and twisted them hard while shaking his head.
"This is not joke! Teell meee about my powers!" she said with puffed cheeks and gnashing teeth.
"Wait, wait," Milan said, trying to hold his laughter. "You have another superpower."
Her eyes lit up again. "Ohhh, what is it?"
He smirked. "Incurable super dumbness! Ahahaha!"
Selene shot up from her chair, crossing her arms.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore!" she declared dramatically and started walking toward her room.
But after a few steps, she realized something strange—she wasn't walking.
She was floating.
"This is completely unfair!" she shouted, waving her legs in midair. "You're bullying me with your superpowers and not telling me mine! Sniff… sniff…"
She floated there sulking, her head buried in her knees, shoulders trembling with fake sobs.
Milan sighed, guilt washing over him instantly. Ah damn, I went too far again.
He knelt down beside her. "I'm sorry, okay? It was just a joke. Why are you crying?"
"Hmmm… sniff…" came the muffled reply.
Feeling worse, Milan leaned closer. "I'm extremely sorr—"
Before he could finish, Selene suddenly lunged forward and bit him on the cheek, while wrapping her hand around his neck and her legs around his waist.
He gasped, losing his balance. They both toppled over, but Milan quickly wrapped an arm behind her head to shield her from hitting the floor.
They both chuckled when they hit the floor
She still didn't let go. Her teeth clamped down in his cheeks as she grinned mischievously, legs wrapped tightly around his waist.
"Noww tee me trut," she said with her mouth still half against his skin, words muffled by her bite.
"You cheated! You cheated! Stop biting, I'll tell you!" Milan said helplessly, trying not to laugh and wince at the same time.
"Noh! I wiee noht stosp! Taee me like thiis!" she said through her grin, her teeth completely shoved into his cheeks, her saliva all over her neck and even on Milan's cheeks, her voice full of victory.
Milan couldn't help it—he laughed again. For the first time in years, he felt something he hadn't felt since before his past—
someone not afraid of him, not listening to him, not bowing to him…
someone who disobeyed without fear, who dared to pull him into chaos.
It felt… warm.
With other hand around her waist He lifted her gently, her legs still looped around his waist, her arms around his neck.
Selene suddenly realized how close they were. Her cheeks burned as she slowly released her bite, her breath shaky.
Her eyes met his—so close they could see the reflection of their heartbeats in each other's gaze.
"M-Milan… please, drop me dow—" she tried to say.
Her mouth covered, she realised Milan bit her both lips, staring deep down to her soul, they're breathing in sync kind of rhythm, Selene struggles little but he bit with more force pinning her against wall completely silencing her.
For a long moment, neither spoke. The air trembled to interrupt, warmth, and a strange connection neither of them could name.