Kyra lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, restless. Beside her, Alessia slept peacefully, her breathing steady and deep, completely unaware of Kyra's quiet turmoil. It wasn't unusual for Kyra to have trouble sleeping—especially on nights like this when her brain refused to switch off. She'd tried lying still, closing her eyes, and even counting imaginary football passes in her head. Nothing worked.
Kyra huffed quietly, turning onto her side to face Alessia. Her fiancée looked so peaceful, her blonde hair scattered across the pillow, lips slightly parted. Kyra smiled fondly, feeling a wave of affection, but that calm only lasted a moment before the itch to do "something" crept back in.
And then, like a lightbulb flickering on in her mind, she had the "best" idea. It was perfect. Quiet. Fun. And would definitely help her unwind.
PlayStation.
Her heart skipped a beat with excitement. The console was in the living room, and she could slip out, play for just an hour or so, and be back in bed before Alessia would even notice. Kyra rolled onto her back again, biting her lip. She knew Alessia had been strict about the PlayStation at night—"It's not good for your health,"she'd say, "You need to sleep, not build virtual cities."
But Alessia was fast asleep now, totally unaware. What Alessia didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?
Right.
With a soft grin, Kyra slowly peeled back the covers, inching her way out of bed. She glanced over at Alessia, watching for any sign of stirring, but there was none. Alessia was out cold. Kyra padded silently across the room and into the hallway, feeling a rush of adrenaline at the thought of her little late-night adventure. Once in the living room, she spotted her beloved PlayStation sitting innocently on the shelf, just waiting to be used.
"Just an hour," she muttered under her breath, grabbing the controller and slipping on her headset. "Just a little Minecraft. Alessia won't even know."
The headset muffled the world around her as the familiar hum of the console powered up. Within minutes, Kyra was lost in the pixelated world, digging tunnels, building houses, and gathering resources. Time passed in a blur. The night grew deeper, but Kyra was completely absorbed. She hadn't even realized that it had been over two hours since she started. Her focus was so intense that she didn't hear Alessia stir in the bedroom.
Kyra had no idea Alessia had woken up, no clue about the icy stare her fiancée was directing toward the living room from the hallway. She certainly didn't hear Alessia's soft footsteps creeping up behind her.
And then, out of nowhere, Kyra felt a firm hand grip her forearm.
"FUCK!" Kyra screamed, jumping up so fast that the controller flew out of her hands and clattered onto the floor. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, her entire body jolting with adrenaline. She ripped off the headset, spinning around, eyes wide in terror—only to find herself face to face with a very pissed-off Alessia.
"Jesus, Less!" Kyra breathed, still reeling from the scare. She clutched her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that?!"
Alessia didn't answer right away. Her face was a mask of fury, eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. Kyra, despite knowing she was in deep trouble, gave her fiancée a sheepish smile, hoping to soften the blow.
"Babe, why aren't you sleeping?" she asked, voice light, as if nothing was wrong.
Alessia didn't buy it. She crossed her arms over her chest, her voice low and seething with anger as she leaned in slightly. "Kyra, why am *I* not sleeping? Why the hell are "you" not sleeping?!"
Kyra swallowed hard. "Uh... well, I couldn't sleep, and..."
"I told you not to play the PlayStation at night!" Alessia snapped, her whisper-shout cutting through the quiet of the house. Her eyes flashed with frustration as she pointed toward the console. "It's not good for your health! You need to rest!"
Kyra sat back down on the couch, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Come on, Less, it's just a little game. It's not like I'm gonna die from missing a few hours of sleep."
Alessia rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, tired sigh. "Are you playing with Charli again?" she asked, her voice sharper than before. "I swear, Kyra, if you're playing with her again, I'm banning you from playing with her for a month."
Kyra's eyes widened. "No! No, babe, I'm playing alone! Charli's probably knocked out, I haven't even texted her since this evening!" She shot Alessia a pleading look. "I'm serious, it's just me."
Alessia wasn't convinced. She shook her head, glaring down at Kyra. "You're acting like a fucking child. You're 22 years old, Kyra. You're a professional athlete, and here you are playing video games in the middle of the goddamn night when you should be sleeping."
Kyra's shoulders tensed, the frustration bubbling up. "Less, you're not my mom. You don't need to babysit me."
Alessia's expression darkened, her disappointment clear. "No, I'm your fiancée, and I'm trying to look out for you because you clearly don't know how to take care of yourself."
Kyra groaned, dropping her head back against the couch. "Oh, come on, Less, don't act like I'm doing something terrible. We have the day off tomorrow. No training, nothing important. What's the big deal?"
Alessia's eyes flashed with anger. "The big deal is that you're not listening to me. I warned you about this." She marched over to the shelf, eyes locked on the PlayStation. "You don't respect what I'm telling you. I told you not to play at night."
Kyra sat up straighter, watching as Alessia fumbled with the console, clearly struggling to figure out how to turn it off. "Less, what are you doing?" she asked, feeling a small pang of guilt.
Alessia finally managed to turn off the PlayStation, yanking it out of the shelf and holding it in her hands like a trophy. "I'm confiscating this until you figure out what your problem is."
Kyra's eyes widened as she jumped to her feet. "Wait, wait—Alessia, come on!" She followed her fiancée down the hallway, reaching out to grab her arm. "Let's not dramatize this, okay? It's not that serious!"
Alessia spun around, still holding the console. Her face was set in a stern, disappointed glare. "Come on, it's serious, Kyra. You clearly don't understand that you need to take care of yourself. You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
Kyra blinked in shock. "Are you seriously kicking me out of bed?"
"Yes," Alessia replied, shoving the PlayStation into Kyra's chest. "You can sleep with your fucking PlayStation tonight."
Kyra's mouth dropped open, but Alessia didn't give her time to respond. She turned on her heel and stormed back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed through the hallway.
Kyra stared at the closed door, then down at the console in her hands. she muttered under her breath "Good night, my love,", and shaking her head. With a resigned sigh, she walked back to the couch, plopping down with the PlayStation beside her.
She didn't bother hooking it back up. There was no point. Instead, she pulled a blanket over herself, lying back on the couch with a frustrated groan.
This was going to be a long night.
