Arranged Love

Stuck

Mika's POV

Week 2

It's the next day, I'm still in bed since I'm following the doctor's orders. Bose has been a great help and has been stuck by my side since last night. We still have yet to talk about our slight argument but once he comes back from the bathroom...we can finally talk. I must rest as much as possible since we have a royal event to attend on Sunday. The doctor said if I rest till the event in 2 days, I should be in good enough shape to move on my own with little to no help. The royal event is the 7th birthday of Princess Grace...she's the oldest and only daughter of the Hazel Family. The Hazel Family has always been good to us and is one of the newer families on the royal scene. It starts with King Greg, Queen Gwen, Princess Grace, and her 5 younger brothers. The princes are... 5-year-old Gabe, the 3-year-old triplets Griffin, Graham, and Grayson, and the littlest royal in the family, 1-year-old prince Gideon. 6 kids all under the age of 7....god bless Queen Gwen haha. But Bose and I were invited since we love the kiddos and Queen Gwen and King Greg always loved us as kids.

Bose walks out of the bathroom with his hair drenched in water, soaking the shoulders of his shirt so he grabs a towel and sits next to me on the bed while drying his hair.

"Miss me?" He asks jokingly.

"Not with wet hair, I don't."

He chuckled at my reply and then continued to say...

"Can we talk about yesterday...you know...the piano situation." He says.

I could tell that even saying the word piano make his heart feel heavy.

"I'm sorry, I was so persistent on you teaching Phoenix's son that I forget how touchy the subject is for you...if you aren't comfortable with it then you don't have to do it." I say.

"Mika...I'm sorry too, it's been so hard for me to love music the same after my grandparent's passing but...I want to try. Not just for you, Phoenix, or her son but for me and my grandparents. You were right...they would want me happy and doing the thing we loved doing together." He says.

He was saying each word with such care and honesty that I could feel his pain for him. He was tearing up but not a single tear fell...it takes Bose to always try to be the stronger person even in his saddest moments.

"I feel horrible for making you feel this way...I'm such a bad person." I say.

"You're not a bad person. The fact that you're still thinking about it now and that it still hurts you proves that. It's okay to let it go now...I think for such a long time, I never got near to playing the piano again...since the people I did it with were my happy place. But I think I dare to do it now since I've found a new happy place...you." He says.

He finally locks eyes with me after mentioning me and I felt such pride and honor knowing that I'm his happy place.

"...and you're mine." I say.

I wrap my arms around his neck and he gently wraps his arms around my waist not forgetting the condition I'm in. Bose has been holding in his tears for a while, embarrassed to cry in front of other people since he thinks it would make him look weak. Though as soon as I take him into my arms, the barrier breaks and he burst into tears. He cries into my shoulder and lets out years of mourning and regret that was piling on top of him for the last decade.

"I'm not going anywhere...love, let it out." I say.

Bose's POV

And that I did...I broke down. My grandparents meant the world to me and knowing that they didn't leave the world on their time and in peace...made me feel like shit. They had so much life to live and so much more to see...they didn't deserve this. They never will see me as the man I am today, never see me marry the love of my life one day, never see their great-grandchildren, and never see me take over the kingdom. They missed all my milestones since they were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time....they were mere victims.

Mika held me as I sobbed at the unfortunate end that my grandparents dealt with. Mika may not be the brightest bulb but she makes up for it by having the warmest heart. She thinks with her heart and emotions, and she believes in and cares for everyone. I may be somewhat intelligent but my heart is cold as ice...I think with my brain and logic, I believe and care for almost no one.

"You don't have to act so toughly. It's ok to let other people care for you sometimes." She says.

I think I'm finally starting to realize that now.

"I know...t-that now..." I admit.

Mika brings her hands to my face using her thumbs to gently wipe my tears. I look at Mika who's looking right back at me...her eyes glossy from crying with me. Mika observes my face then I see her slowly smile at the position we were in.

"You know what this reminds me of?" She asks.

"What?" I ask.

"When we were 6 years old and one of my ex-friends was picking on you since you were super quiet." She says.

I crack a slight smile at the fond memory.

"They expected me to be a social butterfly just like you...so they wouldn't let me play with them during recess." I say.

"I saw you sitting by yourself, crying under a tree..."

"...and every time I cry...you cry haha." I say.

"So I ran over to you and held your face...just like this, wiping every tear that fell; I wouldn't leave you till you told me what was wrong." She says.

And she meant it...she never left my side.

"Then when I finally told you, you stormed over to the sandbox, and you kicked sand in their faces haha." I say.

"I would do so much worse for you now." She says.

We laugh at how protective we were over each other then and now. Mika let go of my face, I bring my hands from her waist to my lap, and she brings her hands to mine playing with my fingers...another thing she did when we were kids.

"Thanks for always being there for me...I only stay as long as you do." I say.

"I know....that's why you'll be stuck with me forever." She says.

I grin at Mika's sincere comment. I'm so happy I found my new happy place in someone like Mika...I truly don't know what'd I do without her.