There was absolute silence in the car as Mirio and Christine drove home.

The silence was so heavy that Christine was tempted to kick Mirio out of the car so he could run the rest of the way home.

However, as much as she was tempted to do that, she also knew that Mirio was someone who preferred the exercise, especially now that he was noticeably upset about what he saw earlier.

Kicking him out of the car right now would be equivalent to giving him a free pass that would force her to sulk alone.

“So…” Christine mused aloud, trying to break the ice “Nice weather huh?”

Mirio frowned but did not reply and Christine tightened her grip on the wheel because trying to break the ice just made the temperature in the car even colder and more awkward.

The rest of the journey was complimented by both pretending the other wasn’t there, but while Mirio could handle ignoring Christine in his upset state, she, as the person who felt guilty, could not stand the condemning silence.

----------------------

Christine pushed open the door to her apartment and felt an instant boost in confidence since she was technically in her own home and that meant Mirio couldn’t avoid a conversation with the homeowner.

Sadly, her plans failed to account for one thing…

“Mirio… I need your help with something…” Jessica shouted lazily as she lay on the table like the first time Mirio met her.

Over time, Jessica’s restrained attitude around Mirio had evaporated and she was showing her true colors once more.

Of course, Mirio now understood the rare species that was Jessica Jones so he made no fuss seeing her sprawled out on the table in boxers and a loose blouse that highlighted her almost non-existent chest.

“Let’s go…” Mirio answered almost immediately, spinning on his feet around Christine, scooping Jessica from the table, and carrying her upstairs in a bridal carry.

Whoooooh…

Jessica enjoyed the bridal carry and looked smug at the twitching Christine who could say nothing about her and Mirio’s closeness.

After all, Christine knew better than anyone that Mirio and Jessica were more akin to siblings than anything else.

Still, jealousy had no such thing as logic…

-----------------

Hopping out of Mirio’s arms and closing her room door, Jessica directed an accusatory look at Mirio “What was that about?”

As mischievous as she was, Jessica was not blind to the fact that Mirio had used her to avoid Christine… and quite expertly at that.

Mirio sighed and slumped to the ground like a deflated ball “Things are complicated… I am being asked to move out after you guys leave…” he admitted frustrated.

Jessica sighed, walked to her bed, and laid down “I don’t know why adults find it so complicated… she likes you and you like her so just be done with it…”

Everything in Jessica’s mind was simple – one plus one equals two… get Christine pregnant, own the house and nobody can kick him out.

“Actually, I am not sure how things work either….” Mirio admitted half-heartedly “Where I’m from, we have Quirk Marriages so age gaps don’t count for much… and we aren’t so openly intimate like Americans are…”

“Yeah, I read somewhere that Japanese aren’t…” Jessica murmured uninterestingly but her eyes brightened the next moment when ‘Quirk Marriages’ came to mind “What is ‘Quirk Marriages’ by the way…”

“Well, it is-”

“Wait!... okay, go ahead…”

“What are you doing?”

Jessica placed a recorder on the desk and explained “Mom is writing a book based on your ideas so every night when you tell me stories, I record them for more material… mom says she only needs a couple more chapters for the first book…”

Mirio rolled his eyes in exasperation but continued to explain anyway “Quirk Marriages are kind of what you Americans refer to as Arranged Harems I guess… when Quirks came into being, a lot of people got gifts that they weren’t asking for, and since those gifts could not be removed, they didn’t want their children to share the same burden…

Some people had animalistic features that made them terrifying… some had quirks that hurt themselves or those around them without meaning to… some had quirks that made it difficult to live in certain areas or ecosystems…

Government Law introduced Quirk Marriages under strict regulations… It’s not as simple as getting multiple wives or husbands… both parties have to ensure that they can support themselves emotionally, spiritually, and physically without each other…

There were several clauses in the contracts… including loyalty… if one party was found to be disloyal, in extreme cases they would be sent to prison… In a society of superhumans where emotions affect quirks, Governments had to enforce penalties to those who cause emotional distress when not necessary…

Hence, Quirk Marriages were born… so if you had a Quirk that made you overheat whenever you used it, you would be paired with someone who had a quirk that made them too cold… of course, both parties had to agree and everything but the system worked for the most part…

Apart from the first Generation Quirk users, everyone, by the third generation, had regained their humanoid features with few exceptions…”

Jessica’s eyes sparkled “That sounds cool… You always have the best stories and ideas… You should write a book of your own instead of letting Mom do it…”

“I trust your mother and she promised me your hand in marriage if I am ever desperate enough…” Mirio joked but a swift fist from Jessica put him back in his place as he recanted the joke in a hurry.

Ouch

“You mean if you’re ever blessed enough!” Jessica reminded strongly, puffing her barely–existent chest.

Hahahhahhaaha

Hahhahhahahahha

Both teenagers burst into a fit of laughter and continued their conversation feeling more relaxed than previously.

-------------------

Later during the night when Jessica was fast asleep, Mirio made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen where he knew Christine would be waiting… and she was…

Christine wore a beautiful, sky-blue nightgown with a blushing face that was complemented by the cup of wine in her hand.

Mirio eyes Christine suspiciously at first but sighed in relief the next moment when he realized that she had only had one cup of wine, instead of a few.

“Drinking every night isn’t good for you…” Mirio reminded, brushing past Christine with a cup and pouring himself a drink as well.

Christine shrugged smilingly “At this point, drinking at night has become a tradition for us…”

“Then we need new traditions…” Mirio murmured, not expecting Christine to hear but she did and a brilliant smile blossomed on her face.

“And I thought of one…” Christine said giddily as she rushed to the couch, ducked behind it, and pulled out a guitar that was obviously meant for Mirio.

Mirio was surprised and the betrayal of earlier eased from his mind “What makes you think I can play?”

Christine walked towards Mirio, brushed the new guitar in her hands, and answered with utmost confidence “Because you would do anything to see a child smile… even though you don’t smile as much as before, you still do everything to make the children at the hospital small when you’re there… And there is no way a guy who likes kids so much wouldn’t learn to play music…”

Miro spun around and avoided Christine’s eyes because he felt like bursting into tears. Her observations meant that she watched him closely and she noticed that he no longer smiled sincerely.

As a hero who was determined to save everyone with a smile, the fact that he no longer smiled struck Mirio’s heart like a hammer.

He didn’t even notice what he was losing since coming to this Universe but thankfully, Christine had given him a timely reminder so he didn’t forget who he had always wanted to be – Lemillion!

Mirio spun back around with the broadest, most brilliant smile Christine had seen in her life as he took the guitar from her hands.

Christine followed Miro and he sunk into the couch, and she took her place right next to his side, leaning against his leg without any second thought.

It could have been the wine in her system that lowered her inhibitions, but if Christine was honest with herself, it was the fact that being near Mirio just felt so right.

“This song is pretty famous during my first year in high school… one of my friends with a vocalization quirk created it using my lyrics… It was before our field trip to America so we used mostly English…”

Mirio took a deep breath and began…

“When I saw you Neo maneul saenggakago 🎶🎶

When I love you Did you miss me Nae mami byeonhandaedo 🎶🎶

I will I wish you next uri moseup idaero Doragal su isseulkka 🎶🎶

When I saw you Always behind of you Always behind of you Close your eyes Tteonaneun dwinmoseumman 🎶🎶

When I leave you Are you with me Sesangi uril miwohaedo 🎶🎶

I will I wish you next uri moseup idaero Doragal su isseulkka 🎶🎶

When I saw you Always behind of you Always behind of you Heurin gieok soge mudeodulge 🎶🎶

Geu chueogeuro saragalge Ne nunbit pyojeong Geu modu ichyeojindamyeon 🎶🎶

Doragal su isseulkka When I saw you Always behind of you ❤❤

Always behind of you…”

Mirio and Christine didn’t even notice when they were so indulged in the music that their faces drifted naturally toward each other.

Their lips met in an intense kiss that seemed to have no end…

A couple of minutes into the kiss, Mirio’s hands started exploring Christine’s body and she also eagerly slid out of her nightgown, allowing Mirio to raise her into a bridal carry and escort her up the stairs into her room.

With a bang, the door was closed and all that could be heard was moaning and loud sounds of heavenly wetness colliding.