2 months later:

ZEMEN ACÉTTA:

"Te juro que si fuera alguien menos, habría-" (I swear, if it were anyone else, I would have-)

"Hmm? Did you say something?" She asked standing from the dresser in her small black shorts that did nothing to hide her perfectly acquainted ass.

"Nothing" I grumbled, averting my eyes.

"I know you're probably cursing me in Spanish but! Good thing is at least you'll have clear skin by the end of this spa session!"

4 hours later and still her 'spa session' wasn't coming to an end.

"How much longer will I need to sit here with my feet dipped and this shit like goo on my face?"

"Hey! Don't talk like that to your future life partner!"

"Sorry amor, but I am really hanging by a thin thread called patience."

She laughed and came by the bed, leaning down and touching my mask clad face, gently.

"It's done! Go wash it!"

"I would love to... But-" I darted my gaze to my hands and then back at her.

"They're done too. Your spa session is finally done, sir!"

"Fucking finally. Took you just a few hours.. Nothing else." I grumbled while desperately trying to take away the manicure puffed cotton- fuck whatever from my fingers.

I took my wet feet out the water which felt a bit softer and nicer and walked to the bathroom and washed my face.

Seeing me stressed with work over the month, Aera told me she had a surprise all set for me in our room.

Got me all excited and shit just to see her in her pyjamas with face masks in her hand.

None the less, I can say that this little brat helped me overcome my stress a lot and helped me understand, that maybe a little break once in a while wouldn't hurt.

I looked up at the mirror and found the residue of the mask still there.

"Aera it's not coming off!"

I heard her come in and looked at her to see her puffing her cheeks in an desperate attempt to not laugh.

"I'll help you."

She cupped my face and wet her hand, tracing her fingers all over my face, helping me remove the mask, she poured on my face.

"There. All done." She smiled at me and then pushed me out of the bathroom to remove her own mask.

I laid on the bed with my hand under my head and looked at her come out of the bathroom.

I motioned her forward with my finger and she came and stood by the bedside, but I grabbed her waist, pushing her on top of me.

"Hi!" She laughed and poked my face.

"Soft like a babies ass!"

A chuckle escaped me making her smile.

"Thank you amor, I needed this." I rubbed her back and she laid her head on my chest with her legs tangled with mine.

"I know you did, you stuffed teddy bear. I can read you well, even if you say that the mask was shit, I know you secretly liked it."

"More like endured it because of you"

She hummed and I saw her eyes closing.

"Sleepy?"

"No, just resting my eyes......."

I stayed quiet for a second as I focused on her furrowed eyebrows which twitched as if she was thinking hard.

"Do you have something to say?" Her eyes opened and I could see the inner battle going on inside her head.

She sat up on top of me with her thighs on either side of me.

In any other form I would have loved this, but I know something's upsetting her.

Fuck my exhaustion, I know how badly she needed this spa session-as she likes to call, for herself. It's been two months since everything went down.

Two months. And we were better than ever. But I felt as if we could do more. Do more for us.

"When are you going to talk to Bernice?"

That. That question.

"I will."

"When?"

"Soon"

I placed my hand on her waist, slowly raising her shirt and caressing her skin underneath.

I slowly felt myself calm down.

"Soon is not enough for me Zemen. You know it meant equally as much to her as it did to you. He obviously meant something to her that she wants to talk to you about James. Whether it be whatever. It was her dad. A monster for us, but a father. The least you can do is give her the explanation she deserves rather than ignoring her."

I sat up and pushed her closer to me, dipping my face in her neck.

"I need time."

"I know Zemen. And time is what you'll get." She kissed my forehead and laid against me softly humming.

••••••••••••••••••••••

I checked my watch.

20 minutes early.

I was 20 minutes early.

Eager?

Or maybe nervous and trying to calm myself, trying to take in my surroundings before everything goes down.

After what went down, Bernice found out and wanted to meet up.

I had told her about the mission but I never told her what I'd do at the mission.

She never told me how she felt about him. She never told me if she loathed him or loved him.

Or maybe I never cared enough to ask?

Her feelings to me were unclear and I couldn't see the picture well.

Maybe telling her I killed James would affect her relationship with me.

I had thought about this all. I had. Of what will happen if Bernice didn't want to go with my plan. Of what will happen if she didn't approve and would want to leave me. Her only brother.

But that didn't matter to me, and I don't regret thinking that way. Nothing mattered to me more than his death and Aera's safety.

I knew what he was after. My family. And next was Aera, and I would die before I let someone touch her.

I was taken out of my thoughts by two weak knocks on the door.

"Sir someone named Bernice is-"

"Send her in."

"Right away sir" the waitress went away, closing the door of my private room in this luxurious five star restaurant, and in after, entered Bernice.

"Zemen"

"Bernice" I answered just as tiredly as I felt at that moment.

She took a seat in front of me, removed her sunglasses and leaned back in the chair, staring at me.

"I have been trying to get in touch with you for-"

I interrupted, "I am here now, aren't I?"

She huffed and placed her hand on the table.

"Two months I waited for a response, but all I got was ignored and now two months later, all I get is a mere "BeRnIcE" she mimicked in a deep voice making me roll my eyes.

She sighed and pushed back in her seat.

"I am not here to fight you nor do I sorely know the reason of your heaved ignorance towards me. But all I know is that I deserve an explanation of why you didn't feel the need to ask me."

"Need to? Because I didn't feel like it. What was there to ask? Hey Bernice I am going to kill our rapist, fucked up and what not of a father, can you approve?"

"Zemen!"

I scoffed.

"If you're here to tell me you're leaving me too then I don't give a fuck. You might as well leave now before you waste any more time of mine."

"Wow okay.... I don't give a fuck about you too big bro. But at least to let you know. I am not here to leave you or fight you."

I suddenly felt a strong urge to roll my eyes.

"I will never, ever, do anything that will put Aera, you, or anyone else in my mafioso, in danger. So when I saw one, I killed him."

"After maa. I knew you would do something like this. And I think I had it approved from that time thinking you'd come ask but I guess that wasn't necessary."

"Why the fuck are you so persistent in me asking you?! Did you not know what he had done to us?! To maa?! Would you have want him alive right now?!"

I lost my calm, something that Aera told me not to.

"I don't want him here, neither did I ever neglect our troubles caused by him. But I wanted to take part in the mission too." Her tears fell.

"I wanted to stab him to death. To see the fear in his eyes, slowly go white as he lay there, lifeless."

I stared at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"Oh sorry" she let out a breathy laugh as she wiped her tears.

She was never the one who'd talk about killing or lifeless bodies.

"Where's Bernice and what have you done to her?"

"I felt the need for revenge and you took it away from me! At least tell me where his body is?"

I let out a chuckle and laid back on the chair.

"Ashed out."

"As expected" she rolled her eyes and wiped her eyes, asking me if her mascara was alright.

~◌~✤✤~◌~

AZARIAH SERENE:

After tossing and turning the entire night, we decided to go on a walk.

And here we were, walking on a side walk. I felt as if Zemen was awfully quiet, with just me talking and babbling.

"Aera." I halt and halfly turned back to look at him.
"I- uh...." I fully turned as he seemed nervous about something.

"Would you like some icecream?" He said pointing behind me to an ice cream shop with a smile on his face.

"Sure!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the shop.

After getting our ice creams, we sat down on a bench, nearby.

I glanced at him slowly eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"Why do I feel like you were about to say something else before you asked me for icecream?"

He choked and coughed removing the spoon from his mouth.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah yeah." I rubbed his back stopping myself from bursting out laughing.

"I just.... Why the fuck is this so God darn hard!?"

I frowned.

"Just say it. Rip it like a band aid eh?" He nodded putting his ice cream on the bench, I did the same.

~◌~✤✤~◌~

ZEMEN ACÉTTA:

"Jeongmal banchang-gocheoleom tteud-eulkka?" (Do I really rip it off like a bandaid?)

"Ne-" (yes) she nodded absentmindedly and soon gasped, with her eyes widening, "-chakaman! (Wait a minute!)......I-I mean wait what?!"

I smiled and picked up my ice cream, eating a spoonful.

"You know Korean?" I didn't say nothing and she grabbed my shoulder shaking me. "Tell meeeee!"

"Yes, I know Korean, along with Japanese, Chinese dialects, Mandarin, Italian, and many more...Oh and Spanish." I winked at her and her mouth opened ajar.

I slipped my ice cream filled spoon in her mouth and she blinked her eyes pushing off the spoon.

"I hate it's taste! What the hell is that?!"

"Mint chocolate."

"Ahh! I feel like there's an AC in my mouth!- wait a minute." She gasped out loud looking at me and I could see a new panic in her eyes.

Did she realize?

"Did you-"

"I know what you said to me that day."

"Ayahh!" She hid her face in her palms, ducking down probably embarrassed.

"It's okay-" she pushed off my hand, looking upfront and not meeting my gaze.

"That's so embarrassing! So you knew the whole time?"

"Yep." I continued eating my ice cream and she looked at me. "Stop eating icecream! Aish! That's so embarrassing."

I put down my ice cream, chuckling and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, making her lean on me.

"It isn't. But what I am about to say is, if you reject me."

"Huh?"

"Te amo, amor."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Aera."

~◌~✤✤~◌~

AZARIAH SERENE:

The look in his eyes gave it away before he said it in english but I still needed to hear it.

"I love you, Aera"

*ba dhum, BA DHUM!!!!*

"I love you, amor. I am in love with your beauty, your kindness, your love, your smile. And all in all... Just you."

Three words.

Three.

Words.

Those three words held so much power over me, that if I hadn't been sitting, I'd fall instantly.

"Zemen... "

"Shh. I know." He pulled my head against his head as tears formed in my eyes.

"Why did it take you so long!?" I hit his chest and he sighed.

"I don't know, amor. But maybe I wanted to be completely sure about it before I said those words."

"And what made you realize then?" I sniffled and looked at him.

"What made me realize my feelings for you?" I nodded.

"The fear of losing you." He softly caressed my face, planting a kiss on my forehead and my eyes closed in pleasure.

"I love you, Aera."

I smiled at him and kissed him passionately and roughly.

We parted and he spoke against my lips. "Say it back."

I smiled in between our kiss and backed away. "Naaah"

I stood up, taking my ice cream with me and started walking away.

"Aera say it!" He whined like a little baby.

"Say what? I can't hear you- oomph!" He slammed me in between a wall and placed his hand to my right. "I. Love. You."

"Good for you." I bent down and got out from under his arm, and soon heard his boots behind me and I picked up my speed.

Soon he caught upto me and my ice cream went flying as he pulled my back against his chest.

"Okay, okay. Haha, I love you Zemen."

"I love you too." He held my chin up and turned my head a little, kissing me as we stood who knows where.

He grabbed my waist as I felt my knees going weak and I clutched his shirt, fully turning to him.

"You taste like mint choco." I made a disgusting face and he laughed and pecked my lips.

"Oh and... You owe me a new ice cream." I said pointing to my now fallen ice cream.

"Of course, amor. Cause that's what I am here for huh?" I giggled and held his elbow, skipping steps to the ice cream shop.

•••••••••••••••••

"Zemen, I don't wanna go home."

He didn't reply.

"Zemen?"

"Aera...." Uh-oh. Something was about to happen.

That monotone voice means something.

"Marry me."

I blinked.

"Okay, Zemen."

"Aera I'm serious." My heart stopped and I turned to him.

"What do you... Mean? Right now?"

"Uh-.... Yeah, like someday.. Or—"

We shared one look before I gave him a very excited nod and he fished out his phone, his eyes not once leaving me.

"Levi, I want you and Santino to meet me at this address I sent you."

"Dude—"

"Now"

Young Azariah would die hearing I'm running away with a man.

He pocketed his phone. "You sure you want this."

"A hundred percent, Zee! Lessgo!"

He kissed me softly before we jogged to our car.

Tonight sure is eventful.

But it's our night.

~~~~~~~~~~

We reached the court and a wide smile took over my face.

"Are we really doing this?"

"We are, amor." I squealed so loud, I bet all the pigeons flew away.

Jogging into the court, hand in hand, we came across Levi and Santino who looked like they came from hell.

"I was sleeping— what the fuck?! Why are you dressed in white?! Did I die? Are you an angel?! Heaven?!"

Levi smacked him on the head and I tsked.

"Silly, why do you think we called you here?"

Levi and Santino shared a look before their eyes widened. "No... No way... NO FUCKING WAY!"

They bro hugged Zemen and I stood blushing and smiling, my white silk dress around me that I literally wore for this date.

"Let's go, Aera Acetta." I giggled at that and smiled up at him.

~~~~~~~~~

"Sign here please."

First the paper was handed to me and my hands shook while I grabbed the pen. Not from fear but excitement coursing through me.

Levi was sniffling.... Yeah.

I gave the pen to Zemen who kissed me on my forehead before signing and so did Levi and Santino as witnesses.

I looked up at him with teary eyes and he kissed my temple, bringing me into his embrace.

"I love you so much, Aera Acetta."

"I love you, Zemen..... Hubby." His silver eyes lightened at that and a loud laugh escaped me.

We went in as two people in love and came out as two married couple in love.

Maybe rash decisions are the best sometimes.