charity project // mischa bachinski (ride the cyclone)

34 - stalling

I woke up before Mischa, as usual. I brushed my teeth and washed my face before going to the kitchen, where Laura was pouring herself coffee.

"Good morning, Laura," I sat down at the counter.

"Good morning, Y/n. Did you sleep well?"

"Very well. Mischa's not awake yet. He's still asleep on the couch. Can I make pancakes?"

Laura nodded. "Sure. All of the dry ingredients are in that cabinet, so don't worry about having to look for those. The measuring spoons and whisks are in that drawer, and the bowls are in there."

She pointed to a lower cabinet near the sink.

"Thank you!"

I got everything out, and Laura left to sit in the parlor. I just thought it was another living room until I was told otherwise.

I got ready to whisk the wet and dry ingredients together, and I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind me. Mischa laid his head on my shoulder.

"Good morning!" I smiled at him.

He looked up at me. "Good morning. I am still tired."

I laughed. "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

I whisked the ingredients together while he clung onto me. I looked back at him and he lifted his head.

"You have batter on your lip."

"Oh, I do?"

He nodded. "Yes. I will get it off for you."

I tilted my head, expecting him to wipe it off with a finger. Instead, he leaned in and kissed me. I felt his tongue brush over my lower lip.

"Got it," He said. "Tastes good."

"Oh. Uh, thanks," I turned away to avoid him seeing how much I was blushing.

"Wait," He reached a hand out to my chin and moved my face so he could see. "You are... blushing at me?"

"...Yes."

Mischa smiled. "Ha. Nice."

I picked up the bowl of batter and placed it near the skillet.

"Hey, Mischa? Can you make some pancakes? I need to use the restroom."

"Of course!"

I begin to walk, and then freeze.

"On second thought... let's just wait until I get back. You don't have the best history with cooking pancakes."

He crossed his arms and frowned. "Oh. You do not believe in me?"

I pause for a moment. "No."

"Hurtful," He scoffed.

"It's only the truth," I shrugged, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving for the bathroom.

"Whatever," He grumbled.

Once I walked out of the bathroom, I paused. I heard Tom and Laura's voices in the office room, and was immediately intrigued. Now, I'm not one to pry on anyone else's conversation, but this was different.

"Look, Laura. You'll have to tell him today. I mean, it's only a week until it happens. We can't just surprise him with it. It's not fair."

"I know, Tom. But I'm worried."

"About what?"

"After what we were like at first, what if he thinks we'll be like that again?"

"Mischa wouldn't do that," Tom assured her. "I'm sure he'd be happy with it."

"But what if he's not? What if he hates us for it?"

"Laura, darling, in the off-chance that he does, we'll just get that girlfriend of his to convince him otherwise. He'd listen to anything she had to say."

Laura laughed lightheartedly. "I'm sure. But what about Y/n? Should she know about this, too?"

"Y/n is practically our daughter-in-law at this point. She deserves to know."

I smiled at this from behind the door.

"Yeah. You're right."

There was a pause, and then Tom spoke.

"Okay. We're not stalling anymore. We're telling them now."

"Now?" Laura's voice echoed.

"Now."

My eyes widened and I hurried away from the door and into the kitchen. Mischa turned around. "Can we make the pancakes now?"

I blinked for a moment, still trying to process the conversation I'd overheard. What could it possibly be about? Why was Laura so scared to tell Mischa? My thoughts spiraled.

"Y/n?" Mischa's voice called out, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I lifted my head up.

"Pancakes?"

I nodded and went to the stove. I made the pancakes, trying not to burn them while my brain was so preoccupied. I finished them up, turned off the stove, and placed the bowl in the sink. As soon as Mischa set plates on the table, Tom and Laura came into the room. Laura looked nervous.

"Guys? There's something we need to tell you."

Mischa sighed. "If this is another lecture about-"

Tom chuckled. "No, no. It's not. Come over here, both of you." I sit down next to Mischa.

"So," Laura began. "There's going to be something changing in our house really soon. And I've been holding off telling you this, because I've been, well, scared to tell you."

Mischa looked incredibly worried. "Yes?"

"Mischa, you're adopted," Laura stated.

He blinked in confusion. "Yes? I am well aware of that."

"That wasn't the best way to start that. I see that now," Laura apologized. "I mean to say... that we're going to adopt another child."

I immediately looked at Mischa. We both sat there in stunned silence. Laura seemed to grow more and more anxious by the second.

Mischa broke into a grin. "For real?"

Tom nodded, now excited. "For real!"

"You are?" I gasped. "What's the child's name? Where are they from? How old are they?"

Laura smiled in relief. "We'll answer all your questions."

Tom pulled out a manila envelope and pulled out several official-looking documents.

"His name is Mykola Kovalenko. He's eleven, and-"

Mischa's eyes widened. He took the paper from Tom's hands. "And he's from Ukraine," He whispered to himself.

He beamed as he looked up from the paper. "I will be a big brother!"

"I was so worried that you would still be resentful of us, and how we treated you so unfairly," Laura explained.

"No, you wonderful, wonderful woman! I am so excited! I get little brother. Thank you," He quickly wrapped Laura in a hug.

"We will be picking him up next Saturday," Tom says. "And we really want you to come with us to the airport to pick him up."

Mischa nodded ecstatically. "Yes!"

a/n: so sorry about that. started school and got a job (don't really like it but i get money)! I also got a car! And proceeded to total it in less than a week! But somehow didn't get hurt and neither did the other people! But I got major plot idea into the story!

also i saw rtc in person and my friend was mischa. was going feral a little bit. lol!!!!! (i say lol ironically so please don't take it in the wrong way 🙏)