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[sub]A [@metanoia] & [@Venus] Collab || featuring Mikhail Zima & Caitlin Cleary[/sub]
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[right][i][b]FLASH BACK || T U E S D A Y ,  M A Y  1 S T ,   2 0 1 8[/b][/i][/right]
[indent][indent]A horde of butterflies was fluttering nervously inside Caitlin Cleary’s stomach as she carefully made her way to the bed of the brand-new Toyota Tacoma that now belonged to Mikhail Zima. During one the first conversations she and Mika had back in March, the topic of birth dates had come up. The new friends were pleasantly surprised to find out their birthdays were exactly twenty-three days apart: with his being on May 1st and hers on May 23rd. They had gone on to share stories about their most heartfelt memories involving their special day, which prompted Mika's sad confession that he hadn’t had his favorite cake since he’d moved to Edenridge two years previously. That day, Cece had made a promise to herself that, if she and Mika were still friends when his birthday came around, she would surprise him with a home baked cake of his liking. As luck would have it, they were not only still friends when the time came, but their friendship had strengthened and blossomed at a rapid pace throughout the weeks. Before she knew it, the end of April had rolled around, and so had the opportunity to do good on her promise.

The night of April 30th, Caitlin had gathered her ingredients to set off on the journey of trying to bake and decorate her first three-layer cake from scratch. Each layer was made by combining vanilla cake batter with one of Mika’s favorite three berries: layer #1 was blueberry, layer #2 was raspberry, and layer #3 was strawberry. Cream cheese buttercream served as the glue for each layer, as well as for the cover for the walls of the cake and the piped decorations on the top and bottom. An assortment of fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries cut into a heart shape helped hide the imperfections of the cake while giving it more personality, as well as complimenting the “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Cece had messily written in dark purple decorative gel. The end result wasn’t as neat and pretty as she wanted it to be-- after all, her specialty was cupcakes, not layer cakes. But she hoped that Mika would see the heartfelt intention behind the gesture, and that the taste would make up for the baked goods's smudgy exterior.

That Tuesday, Cece had been lucky. She had been able to take her cake to school, along with some snacks, milk and utensils, and store them in the Home Econ fridge until the end of the day. She’d hidden out in the library from the time school let out until basketball practice was over as she usually did when she and Mika would plan to hang out. Once the coast was clear and Mika had sent her the message that it was time to go, the giddy redhead gathered her items, met the young man at the parking lot, and they set off together to O’Halloran’s Creek. Twenty minutes later, it was time to surprise the birthday boy.

Taking advantage of Mika getting things ready for them in the bed of the truck, Caitlin had announced that she had a surprise for him, and had politely requested that he take a seat and close his eyes. Once she made sure he’d followed her instructions, she retrieved the cake from the dark insulated bag she’d been keeping it in, placed a candle in the middle of the cake, lit it up with the help of a lighter, and carefully made her way to the back. When she had made it safely to their destination, the girl took a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her jitters before speaking up.

[color=C81935]“Okay, Mika: open your eyes…”[/color] she instructed, holding the cake out to him as she nervously waited for him to open his eyes. And when he did, she offered him the happiest, brightest of smiles. [color=C81935][i]“Happy birthday!”[/i][/color]

[color=635687]“Wow…”[/color]

The shock of not only the surprisingly loud shriek from Cece, which she was normally timid with the volume and how she typically spoke. But that wasn’t just it. As he looked at what was in front of him, he was amazed at what he saw. A cake that, at first glance, looked so delicious and he certainly could see something familiar about it. The way the berries were arranged, the faint pink and purples of each layer, even down to the handwriting -- it brought back some very fond memories from his childhood. [color=635687]“Blossom… I could be wrong here, but this isn’t a… Boston cream pie with mixed berries, is it?”[/color] Normally Mika would take the hint of the berries decorated at the top of it, but the nostalgia goggles he was looking through hindered a lot for him right now. He was intensely salivating, but also needed to make sure he wasn’t wrong. Looks could be deceiving, after all.

Caitlin nodded vigorously. [color=C81935]"It sure is,"[/color] she declared proudly, feeling the nerves evaporate as she took in Mika's positive response to her gesture. [color=C81935]"Or, at least, I tried for it to be,"[/color] she said with a chuckle. [color=C81935]"Each layer's got a different berry mixed into the sponge, and the buttercream's all cream cheese. I tried my best with the decorating bit, but since it was my first time it didn't come out as good as I wanted it to be. The flavors though… that I am absolutely confident about."[/color]

[color=635687]“Buttercream, huh?”[/color] Mika repeated approvingly, a smile on his face. He never had it with [i]that[/i] before. His mother always just used a berry cream, which as he remembered was always tart. He didn’t have much experience with buttercream, though. Some cupcakes here and there, but he never had it growing up. Still, he wasn’t worried at all. In all honesty, as he divided his gaze from the cake and Cece, it was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. Also he [i]loved[/i] cream cheese. Most didn’t, but he did.

[color=635687]“What are you talking about, Cece? The decoration looks amazing!”[/color] Mika said, grabbing one of the blueberries and popping one into his mouth. He made a noise that nobody really could describe, but it was the kind one made when they really enjoyed food. [color=635687]“It looks [i]so[/i] good! As good as I remember from when I was younger.”[/color] He was all smiles and even laughed, though it was from the fondness of the happy childhood memories he had about his mother making the same cake. [color=635687]“I just don’t know what to say.”[/color] He was struggling to not let [i]all[/i] of his emotions show off just how much this meant to him.

It was hard for Cece not to beam as brightly as she was. She had accomplished exactly what she had set out to in the first place: to take Mika back to times of joy, celebration, and family unity. Their friendship was still very fresh, but the snippets of experiences he had shared with her had provided the redhead with enough context to know her act would be appreciated. 

[color=C81935]"You don't have to say anything,"[/color] she told him earnestly, offering the birthday boy a sweet smile. Actions often spoke louder than words, and it was obvious from Mika's expression that he was both surprised and truly touched by her heartfelt gesture. Thinking back on it, this was the most and the widest she'd seen him smile since the day they had met under the oak tree. [color=C81935]"Just close your eyes, make a wish, and blow the candle out before the wind does it for you and steals your wish,"[/color] she added with a small laugh, bringing attention to the way the flame flickered dangerously in response to the light breeze starting to pick up around them. 

[color=635687]“Close my eyes?”[/color] For a split second, Mika’s almost wholesome smile turned into something teasing -- naughty, even, if he was being completely honest. Chuckling it away, he gave himself a small shrug. [color=635687]“Fine, but I’m trusting you. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do.”[/color] Normally people often said what [i]they[/i] wouldn’t do, but Mika had a lot of thoughts in the short moment that he looked at Cece when he said that and let’s just say that Mika was the type to entertain a bunch of…creative thoughts.

The pink blush in Cece’s cheeks was instant. Leave it to her new friend to be able to fluster her with a mischievous look and a few sentences with double meanings. [color=C81935]“Just blow out the candle, Mika,”[/color] she playfully chastised with a sheepish giggle.

As he closed his eyes and the immediate thought of Cece standing in front of him became the main focus in his mind, he smiled. And he kept smiling, picturing her. His mind flashed back to that day they met by the Oak Tree. The day that he came to visit David’s grave (or was it a memorial?). Whatever it was, that day led to some interesting things happening. Just a little over a month later and they were in a private-adjacent place, alone, in the bed of his brand new Toyota Tacoma, and she was asking him to make a wish. What did he want to wish for, though? There were a lot of things. Selfishly, he’d like it if his father wasn’t a complete asshole. VIktor, too. He’d also like to be able to return home and see his sisters as much as he wanted. 

All of those things were great, but the largest part of Mika knew what it wanted. Mika, outwardly, knew what he wanted. A gust of air left his mouth, blowing the candle out and he smiled still, opening his eyes. [color=635687]“So what now, Red?”[/color] 

[color=C81935]"Now we get to see just how badly I butchered the taste of this cake,”[/color] Cece joked with a small laugh, handing the cake over to Mika before walking back to the passenger side of the truck to retrieve the rest of her surprise. When she returned, the redhead effortlessly climbed onto the Tacoma’s bed, settled herself next to the birthday boy and started to pull out the items from the large insulated bag that had previously harbored the cake.

[color=C81935]“I brought us some spoons, some napkins, some milk to wash down the cake… You told me the other day that you liked to dunk the limon Flamin Hot Cheetos in nacho cheese, so I got some of those too-- and some Ritz crackers with the Cheese Wiz, in case the Cheetos weren't enough… And since I know how hungry you get after practice and how much you liked the pastrami, swiss and pickled red onion sandwich from The Godmother, I asked Danny for the recipe and the ingredients I needed so I could make you a few… I brought us some water bottles, too…”[/color] she trailed off, placing each of the items in the space between them as she mentioned them. Finally, once the last water bottle was set, Caitlin turned to Mika with a bashful look on her face. [color=C81935]“I’m sorry for getting carried away like this… It’s just… I know how much your birthdays meant to you and how they were some of your happiest memories, so I wanted to try and make this one as special as I could for you.”[/color]

[color=635687][i]She was listening to all of that?[/i][/color]

Mika stared in awe, not only astonished that Caitlin had actually listened to him when he made off-hand comments about some snacks he enjoyed, comments in which he’d half-assed spoken with very little seriousness behind them, but the fact she did it just to make his birthday special. Yeah, Mika had a bottomless pit for a stomach and has grossed out Aleyda and the rest of the Gonzalez’s with his preference of snacks (mostly the fake cheese that came in jars and cans). He may have mentioned his mother’s signature sandwich without giving much context other than saying how delicious it was. Nobody in Edenridge could make it like she did even if Cat Belmonte came pretty close at the Godmother. It wasn’t [i]as[/i] tasty, but not a bad second place.

To say the least, he didn’t expect [i]so much[/i]. The cake, the snacks, the fact she did this all for him — It was a lot. Like a slice of home that he missed since he came to Edenridge. He had accepted his life here now, but it wasn’t exactly the same, yet Cece did all of [i]this[/i] to give him that feeling again? [color=635687]“No..don’t be sorry.”[/color] He finally spoke after a few moments (long ones at that) of taking everything in. The food alone was a shock and it made his stomach grumble, but the act of it all had forced him to reassess that maybe Cece might’ve liked him more than he thought so. Better question, was that a two-way street? 

He looked at her, smiling. Mika wasn’t the type to widely smile. That wasn’t his thing and probably never would be. He thought people looked stupid with those wide grins. Like that Marco Brady guy. But that was his thing, so no hate there, but Mika? Nope, not the person for that kind of outward expression, yet he could feel the muscles around his lips stretch and flex, eyes almost at the brink of watering. They had a glisten in them sure and Mika could feel the intensity of emotions come up from his stomach and heart. Memories of his past birthdays with his entire family -- even his father and oldest brother who supposedly hated him, gathered on special occasions and were different people. 

He shook his head briefly. [color=635687]“I guess you can call me a hypocrite because I’m gonna do what I just said you shouldn’t. I’m sorry I don’t know what to say. Nobody has done this sort of thing for me. At least, not in such a grand display like [i]this[/i].”[/color] Mika went for the cake, wanting to taste the frosting and to nobody’s surprise, it was cream cheese buttercream. [color=635687]“Seriously, you didn’t need to do all of this…but…”[/color] He absentmindedly grabbed one of the strawberries that served as the decoration of the cake, eating it. [color=635687]“Thank you.”[/color]



[color=C81935]"It was nothing,"[/color] the girl said humbly with a small shrug, her heart glowing inside her chest. Every minute of the hours of work spent making the cake and the rest of the food had been worth that blinding smile Mika had given her. [color=C81935]"I'm sure you already know this, but I'm not someone who usually opens up to people. But ever since that first time we talked under the oak tree, I felt like I could have deep, honest conversations with someone who wouldn't judge or make fun of me. Things came so easily with you… It's something I've grown to cherish very fondly. Even though we've only known each other for a little over a month, I do consider you a friend to me, Mika. And with my friendship comes me going all out on special days like these, because I love making those close to me as happy as they make me."[/color]

[color=635687]“I guess I'll just have to get used to the delicious cake that only my mom really knew how to get right and all my favorite snacks being a regular thing every birthday.”[/color] Mika’s tone hinted at sarcasm, but underneath that almost teasing-like tone, there lied a sincerity full of gratitude for the cute ginger that sat beside him. 

[color=C81935]"I guess that's a sacrifice you'll just have to make…"[/color] Cece responded with a shrug, matching Mika's level of teasing and dramatic sarcasm before chuckling.

Mika wasn’t a loner that didn’t have many friends, but other than those he called his brothers in the southside, his only friend on the northside was Natalia (who he had crossed the border from time to time with, but that was neither here nor there). Caitlin was a different kind of girl than Natalia was. Well, obviously Natalia had darker  hair, but it was more than that. Natalia was bold and beautiful (much like the show that his mother was obsessed with), but Caitlin, in her own way, was bold and beautiful. She had a tender spirit and a generous heart. Her eyes were soft and everything about her had so much love. If the display in front of him wasn’t evidence of that, then it was her matching her acts of caring with the confidence in her words. When she said her friendship meant there would be acts of showing that love, Mika believed her.

[color=635687]“By the way--”[/color] Mika looked up at her. He was smiling still but not a smirk. On his face was a gentler smile. [color=635687]“It’s not nothing. Fact is, and you might find this hard to believe, but I’m not the open book with a lot of people than you saw when we both ended up at that cemetery. Ever since coming to this town, I’ve tried to hide myself from opening up. It took a few wrecking balls to get me to open up, and then there was you: just sitting under the shade of that tree across from where I stood, talking to me about our families and then laughing at my bad jokes.”[/color] Mika kept his eyes locked on Cece chortling at his last comment, feeling something stir up inside him. He didn’t know what it was, but he continued, [color=635687]“I told you about this cake and how it was my favorite. My childhood wasn’t picture perfect, but special days like birthdays and Thanksgiving? Yeah those were pretty spectacular! Every single birthday my mom made this exact cake and you did that. For me. So trust me, Red, it wasn’t nothing. It’s never gonna be nothing. This means more to me than you might ever know.”[/color]

Mika's smile was mirrored on Caitlin's face, which grew bigger when he confessed how easily she'd been able to penetrate his defenses without even trying.  It was amazing to think that their small, coincidental interaction had meant so much to the both of them. She was grateful and honored that, among so many different people in town, it was she who had been awarded the invaluable gift of his trust. It was something Cece would cherish and never take for granted.

[color=C81935]"Thank you so much, Mika. I'm just glad I could make you happy,"[/color] she said sweetly, placing her hand on his for a brief moment before grabbing one of the spoons and digging into her creation.

A comfortable silence settled between the pair for some time, with the only sounds being their meal consumption and that of their surroundings before Caitlin spoke up. [color=C81935]"Is it part of Coach's workout plan to starve his players?"[/color] the redhead commented in amusement with a playful snicker. She'd been watching the way Mika was devouring his food like a hungry caveman for a few minutes now, and her mind immediately went to the many times that she'd witnessed The Elite eat enough food to feed a small army. Thank God their mothers liked to cook big batches. [color=C81935]"I swear, every guy I've met that plays for him scarfs down their food as if they'd never eaten a day in their lives!"[/color]

[color=635687]“I-u s-w the w-y we pra-ced, --you’d e-t l-ke is too.”[/color] Mika had half of a mouthful of the sandwich in his mouth, and the way he couldn't pronounce his words properly made Cece giggle. That pastrami and swiss on..well, he wasn’t the most knowledgeable about specific breads but it tasted sour. Either sourdough or rye. Either way, he was enjoying it so much that Mika forgot the most basic rule when eating: never talking with your mouth full. After he washed it down with some water, he coughed. It went down the wrong hole, as was the expected thing to happen when you ate too much and too fast and tried to wash it down too soon. [color=635687]“Sorry, what I was saying is that our practices are insane. Don’t get me wrong, Coach is amazing and clearly we’re phenomenal. Even after The Elite, the current team is just…really bitchin'. Like Danny is a great captain. And Coach help us maximize our talents by giving us drills that plays into them and pushes us to our limits.”[/color] 

If only she knew that he was gushing about his Uncle, but that was something Mika could never reveal for a lot of reasons. But it didn’t take away from how much truth he spoke. Coach John O’Hara was strict as hell and expected nothing short of perfection, but Mika couldn’t deny that it felt great to have someone pushing him to be his best self. Or maybe it was just the fact that he was getting to know his mother’s family -- [i]his[/i] family. 

[color=C81935]"You know, John has a really good talent for that."[/color] Cece mused, pausing to take a bite of cake before continuing. [color=C81935]"He has such an ability for polishing his players' strengths while significantly improving their weaknesses. In the years I've watched him coach, he puts his players first, never plays favorites and makes decisions based out of logic and not bias-- which I imagine was extra hard for him when he had the Elite, considering he had pretty much watched them all grow up in his backyard. I remember how he could even go a little harder on David than the rest just so nobody could say he was being easy on his son, even if nobody really felt that way."[/color]

Mika knew what that was like. Even though he tried to push it to the back of his mind (or out of it if it could be helped), he always managed to think about his own father from time to time. Cece mentioning how Coach was hard on David only reminded how, in his own cruel way, [i]his[/i] father was the same way. Maybe not in the same way. Mika’s childhood was vastly different from anyone he knew in Edenridge (or at least of what he knew about their home lives), so maybe it wasn’t fair, but it was still something that always lingered. [color=635687]“Fathers are like that,”[/color] he responded softly in a lamenting tone. [color=635687]“I’m sure Coach meant well. Hopefully David… didn’t hold it against him.”[/color] Mika had no idea if he was way off base or if his assessment was hitting close to the bullseye. 

From the way Mika spoke, it wasn’t hard to decipher that he might be seeing his own father-son relationship reflected in that of David and John’s. Cece only knew David’s side of the story and what she’d witnessed firsthand during family activities and basketball games. But it was Mika’s birthday. The last thing she wanted was to dampen the mood by continuing this dreary, sore subject. So rather than providing insight, she chose to remain quiet.

As a moment of silence was left between them, Mika shook his head quickly. [color=635687]“But yeah, what I was saying is all these drills we do are taxing and that makes me hungry as fuck. But I should at least remember [i]some[/i] of my manners,”[/color] he laughed off his neanderthal-like display of how he ate his sandwich with all of the big bites and little time for chewing and swallowing. [color=635687]“Guess it doesn’t hurt that the sandwich was [i]really[/i] tasty.”[/color]

[color=C81935]“Well I’m glad you’re enjoying it!”[/color] Cece chuckled, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin. [color=C81935]“I hope you’re leaving some room for whatever the Gonzalez’ have planned for you later, though. Might be hard to explain to them why the guy with four stomachs is suddenly too full to even sample his birthday meal,”[/color] she teased, playfully bumping her shoulder against his arm. 

[color=635687]“Like you wouldn’t believe…”[/color] Mika started to laugh, remembering last year and how the Gonzalez’ really made it into a whole thing. The amount of food that Momma Guadalupe made, the amount of Serpents that came over -- Mika wasn’t officially part of it but he was the closest to a Prince of the Serpents as he came and it was the best. It was his first birthday he celebrated without his mother or his sisters, so it meant more to him than they probably ever knew (especially because Mika didn’t really show that side of him yet).

But another thing caused his silence. Or someone. Cece’s arm brushing against him made him look into her eyes, seeing the sparkle in those turquoise pools with specs of the sunlight hitting them, the playful expression on her face. God, why was he getting these weird feelings in his stomach? And why did his heart start to pump a little faster than it did a few minutes ago? 

Mika got stuck in his thoughts for a few seconds and shook it off. [color=635687]“Uh..yeah they’re great, They go all out with just about anything you can think of! But how about the real star of the show--”[/color] In both an attempt to eat it at long last and, if he was being honest, distract himself from thinking too much into that singular act of her arm brushing against his, his eyes went to the cake.. It was an accident and he was looking too much into it. [color=635687]“Since it’s my birthday, I’m just going to say fuck my stomach and tear into this bad boy!”[/color] He chuckled and grinned, dividing his eyes and attention between the chef who made that cake and the cake itself as he salivated at the thought of putting that cake in his mouth.

[color=C81935]“Go right on ahead, before I finish it off myself!”[/color] Cece said with a laugh, bringing attention to how she had already consumed a third of the cake before Mika had even had a chance to taste it.

[color=635687]“Jesus! Have you been chomping away at it this entire time?”[/color] The young woman let out a small giggle, and nodded confirming her guilt. Truth be told, that didn’t seem unreasonable. Mika didn’t even pay the cake much attention until she mentioned it. Perhaps it was because he was too focused on the sandwich. Regardless, he had to at least get his own third of it so he could try the cake [i]she[/i] made for him before it’s all gone. As he took the knife and sliced off a part of it, he put it on a place. With his fork, Mika made sure to get the perfect bite that had all the layers of cake, cream, and berries. And when he did-- 

[color=635687]“Holy shit! This is fucking good!”[/color] Mika said as his mouth was still full with the cake. Just like how his mother made it. No, it was different. Sweeter yet still tart. He was in a state of…he didn’t know how to describe it because he was feeling a lot: the high emotions nostalgia produced, awe that someone other than his mother could make his favorite cake so well, a certain kind of foodgasm that became clear in the sounds he was making as he chewed, and maybe a bit of an addiction as he had scarfed down half of it while he still had some in his mouth.

And then he started to choke and immediately reached for the milk, washing it down as he coughed a few times. [color=635687]“Seriously a flavor bomb!”[/color] He looked Cece’s way with a smile on his face. [color=635687]“No wonder you helped yourself to a third of it.”[/color] He looked down briefly at his fork. There was still some cake on it. [color=635687]“In fact, you should really have some more.”[/color] With a mischievous smile forming on his face, he had an idea that maybe he was gonna regret or maybe not. He bent the fork back and flung the cake straight at the red headed chef as the remains of the cake found a place right on the left side of her face. 

Cece, who had been grinning from ear to ear watching Mika sample her creation, was caught off guard by the attack. She let out a small gasp of surprise, her blue eyes widening as the realization of what had happened hit her.

Oh, he'd really done it this time.

[color=C81935]"Maybe I will…"[/color] she quickly shot back, wasting no time with grabbing a handful of buttercream from the base of the cake and slathering it all over the guy's left cheek. [color=C81935]"Wow, that color looks great on you! Totally your perfect shade,"[/color] she taunted, giving Mika a smirk and raising her eyebrows at him, as if challenging him to retaliate.

And retaliate he did.

He widened his smirk as a majority of the buttercream frosting that she smeared his direction was all over his chin and lips so it looked like clouds that had pink hues to them were parting. He inched closer to the giggling, cowering Cece, chuckling in a more sinister way the closer he got. He dipped his whole left hand into the remains of the cake, raising it up like a weapon. [color=635687]“Get ready to face the white [i]claw[/i]!”[/color] He declared as he went to [i]lightly[/i], yet still firmly, pressed his hand into Cece’s cheek all the while he managed to push her on her back. Though she had fought back, it hadn't been enough, and he was now looking down at her. [color=635687]“Well well well, you seem to have lost this round, Blossom.”[/color] He grinned as bits of the frosting had made its way into his mouth and were stuck on his teeth. [color=635687]“Admit defeat and you can walk away with your life!”[/color] He stated in a faux-villainous voice, even stretching his accent in a parodical way.

Upon first contact of Mika's hand on her cheek, Caitlin had done her best to defend herself against the buttercream attack. She was able to get a few licks in, smearing more frosting onto Mika's face and hair. Unfortunately, she was overcome by a case of the giggles, which had sapped any strength she had to fight back. It wasn't long before Mika overpowered her in a swift motion, causing her to let out a high-pitched squeal that was followed by even more giggles. And when he addressed her in his current position, looking down at her with his frosting-covered teeth and using that comical voice, Cece couldn't speak-- nor could she hold back the tears of sheer laughter flowing down her cheeks. The last time Caitlin had laughed this hard, to the point of tears and an aching stomach, had been with David shortly before his death.

[color=635687]“No answer?”[/color] The laughing Caitlin could barely shake her head.

As Mika lingered over the laughing redhead, her eyes practically oozing tears produced from the continuous, high-pitched giggles that have been nonstop for nearly a minute now, he couldn’t even think about hiding his own grin. Not the kind of grin one brandished when they were feeling cocky or clever, but the kind that was simpler in nature. He was feeling all of the serotonin build: seeing Cece, for the first time, actually giggle and laugh and have the kind of smile that was infectious. She had smiled before and laughed before when they spent time together, so it wasn’t as though this was the first time he saw them at the same time or anything like that. But to see it being displayed in such an earnest way was something else entirely. Not only that, but this was the first time he was on top of her like this.

Something was stirring and it had been for quite some time.

As she continued to laugh, filling his ears with a sound that calmed him. He had been calm the entire time they spent in the bed of his truck, but there was something else to it. His left hand, which was covered in the remains of the cake she baked for, caressed the left side of her cheek. He was still smiling at this point, but the way he looked at her was different. As lighthearted in its core, he found himself being drawn more and more into her warm, affectionate gaze. No amount of puff in her eyes, tears of joy, or echoes of jovial laughter could stop what was coming.

[color=635687]“You look cute from this angle...”[/color] was all he said as Mika leaned down, his heart pumping faster and faster the closer he got to her face. As he inched so close to her lips, feeling the aroma of her natural scent, the way her body slowed in its rhythm just like it did with his, he swallowed whatever remained inside his dry mouth and laid his lips on hers tenderly. It all felt like it was happening in slow motion and for him, that’s exactly what it was. In reality, it all happened in less than ten seconds that even if Mika wanted to, he couldn’t stop it from happening.

Caitlin couldn’t stop it from happening, either.

The signs of budding feelings slowly developing between them the more Mika and her got to know each other had been impossible to ignore. Cece had chosen to push hers to the back of her mind, of course, out of fear that she was misunderstanding the queues or that they were figments of her imagination. But they were there: front and center. They were present in the way they looked at each other-- turquoise pools meeting those of melted chocolate. They were present in the way they laughed at the same stupid jokes, or how they’d shyly smile at each other when walking down the halls at school. They were present in the way they confided thoughts and experiences in each other, with the certainty that their trust would not be broken. They were present in the way he held her hand, and how her heart beat just a little faster when he caressed her face, or tucked her hair behind her ear, or playfully bumped her shoulder. They were present in the way Cece closed her eyes and tentatively kissed Mika back.

Immediately, a wave of fresh, burning guilt washed over her, causing the redhead to momentarily break the kiss. Five months ago, she was being kissed just like this in the back of a vintage Ford at the clearing near her home, by the man who she had been certain was the love of her life. They had sworn undying love to each other over and over again, outlined plans for the future and pictured the rest of their lives together as a family. Was it okay to be opening herself up to someone else so soon after David’s passing? Would it be disrespectful or insulting to his memory? Was she the world’s most selfish, self-centered, horrible girlfriend for allowing herself to build a bond with another guy so fast?

In the midst of her doubt, she thought of the circumstances that had brought her and Mika together. It couldn't be a coincidence that they had met by happenstance under the oak tree by David's grave. It couldn't be an accident that their personalities complimented each other effortlessly. It wasn’t a mistake that they shared so many similar outlooks about life. And it wasn’t an error that she felt the familiar sensation of warmth, safety and affection whenever they were in each other’s presence. What brought them together wasn’t some random twist of fate. It was destiny.

Was she ready to unlock her heart to the possibilities of what could be?

All it took was one look into Mika's warm blue eyes to confirm that he would be there to catch her if she fell.

So, with nervous steps and a racing heartbeat, she allowed herself to step off the edge.

Pushing all of her fears aside with a timid smile, Caitlin raised her head, gently pulled Mika close with the hand at the nape of his neck and locked her lips with his in a slow, berry and buttercream-flavored kiss.[/indent][/indent][/color]