Yelena held Mika tightly in her embrace, her cheek pressed against his hair, and for a moment she felt a rush of relief. Relief that he seemed alright again, relief that she had managed to soothe him after his sudden wave of self-blame.
She thought about how hard it must have been for him to say those things, things no one in their right mind would ever say aloud.
Mika was the sort of boy who never showed his most genuine feelings, who always kept them tucked away under layers of jokes and stubborn silence. Yet just now he had opened up so completely, pouring out thoughts he had likely locked away for years.
And he had done it for her.
'He's adorable.' She thought, lips quivering into the faintest of smiles as her hand gently stroked the back of his head. 'So, so adorable...and so wild at the same time. I never thought I would see this side of him. I hope...I hope I see it more often in the future. My darling boy, opening up like this…'
