Act Two

XII

Finally lying down in his bed, head meeting the pillow, the blonde turns to meet the face of the young woman next to him. A delicate smile reaches his lips, eyeing the angular features she possesses while in a peaceful slumber. Her dark brunette lashes gently tickle the top of her cheeks with every twitch of her dreaming eyes. Silky hair falls out of her bun and onto the cushiony off-white pillowcase beneath her. Salmon lips slightly part with every long exhale. The soft pucker he loves to feel against his own. This is all he has ever wanted. More than he could have wished for. The woman he admires so deeply is across from him in his bed. However, with one single blink, she is gone. The grin he owns disappears along with her hallucination.

The sense of loneliness settles back into place like a heavy fog, blinding any sight left. Missing someone you still barely know is most definitely unhealthy for the mind but sometimes you can not help what the heart wants. Yakov's heart wants to hold onto Lilia, hold her close, and to never lose sight of this girl. He is no longer worried if she is ready for marriage. They do not even know if the other feels that strongly just yet. They have never said, "I love you." The question is, are they in love though? It is still a slow learning process but in the end, they will eventually collect the knowledge and be able to share it.

Being able to lie down and hold the woman of your dreams, protecting her from all evil is the ultimate accomplishment to be successful, right? That's all he can want. To go to bed with the woman he loves, arms around her and sharing tender kisses until they fall asleep in each other's brace while snow falls outside their window. Keeping each other warm under the covers and listening to the quiet wind blow in the empty streets only to wake up fully rested and content as the sun rises and kisses their pale skin through delicate curtains. He will prepare her the most wonderful breakfast to start their day, making sure she is comfortable and relaxed.

Yakov was never taught gender roles in a household. Mostly because his mother has been employed for as long as he can remember. To him, a house with equal roles is normal. Hearing his guy friends being forced to get a job or go into the military fresh out of school sounds awful. Then after marriage, they have to work even harder to not only provide for themselves but their family. Women do the cooking, the cleaning, the teaching, the nurturing, and everything else in between. The husband's job is to simply go to work and come home to expect full service. That idea made him cringe. How miserable does that sound? Yakov's mother and father agreed to split chores. She cooks, he cleans, she taught Yakov basic skills while his father could teach him anything else like how to repair a car, change a lightbulb, you name it. That is how he wishes to run a household in the future.

He is unsure how Lilia was raised and what she believes but hopefully, she will be okay with Yakov's vision and not feel pressured to be, basically, a servant to him. Without any luck in falling asleep, the man decides to get up from his bed to call Lilia. It has only been over an hour since she left, maybe she will still be awake at this time. "Hello?" Yakov silently releases a breath, relieved she is still up. "Lilya, sorry for bothering you." He responds, holding the telephone to his right ear. "Yasha, is everything all right?" Lilia hums, looking at the wall in front of her while she waits for his answer. "Yes, everything is fine. Just couldn't sleep because I miss you too much." He explains with a bashful tone, anxiously playing with the collar of his shirt. "Oh, I'm sorry you can't sleep. Do you want to talk then until I bore you into slumber?" Lilia suggests with a playful smile tugging at her lips.

How she can say absolutely anything and it will always warm his heart.

"Sure, that sounds wonderful if you don't mind. But you won't ever bore me." Lilia thinks about something to talk about, letting Yakov speak up while she ponders. "I had a great time tonight. I think it went very well." Lilia grins and nods, agreeing with him. "I had a lovely time as well, Yasha. Thank you for dinner, again. It was amazing. Why don't we make dinner more often? I enjoy learning about your hidden talents. Also, sorry for falling asleep on you." She chuckles. Yakov purses his lips, feeling light and airy from all of her compliments. "Thank you, Lilya. That means a lot. I like cooking and if it's for you, I will do it any day. Plus, I don't mind you sleeping, you look cute." The blonde sits at his table, listening to Lilia's voice fill the speaker next to his ear. "I loved it. Oh, I just remembered something. I promised I would skate with you if you dance with me. Would you like to go dancing soon?" The woman asks. Yakov's lips turn up, hearing the excited undertones in her voice. "Yes, I accept your date request. Pick any day you like." He answers. Lilia grins and looks at the calendar on her counter. "I will scope out any dance classes and let you know as soon as I see any."