Guerra

Being in love with the girl whose parents had died "because of him" definitely hadn't been part of his plans.

Miles and the other heroes hadn't arrived in time, unfortunately turning that day into the -

"Rare case where the heroes couldn't save the day."

A couple had died and left their daughter behind.

It had been at least a year since he'd gotten close to her. A cheerful, outgoing girl.

Despite losing her parents, she had never given up on any of her dreams or ambitions.

By far, that was what he admired most about her.

And there was Miles, doodling in his notebook while listening to her ramble about a TV show she'd finished a few days ago.

By now, it was normal for him to hang out at her house. She had no idea how, but he always managed to climb through her window and get inside without any trouble.

Today had been no different. He'd jumped through the window just as quickly as he had the week before.

She had nearly fallen off her bed in surprise.

— I've already told you to stop climbing through my window, Miles. Seriously. It's really high. What if you fall off the wall? — She pointed her pen at him, her tone completely serious.

Imagine if she knew I'm basically a professional at climbing things.

— I've already told you. It's not that high for me. Don't worry about it."

He replied without looking up from his notebook, smiling slightly at her concern.

— But what if you fall? Slip, or something? You could get seriously hurt.

She shot him a disapproving look while shifting at the foot of the bed where he was accommodated too.

— Can't you just trust me? I'm never going to fall from your window."

— You're so confident that I almost believe you.

She said it without actually believing a word he said.

Miles let out a quiet laugh.

— So you don't believe in my skills at all? Oh.— he grumbled while trying to fix a small mistake in his drawing.

— I just don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me.

She shrugged as if the subject didn't hurt.

But the truth was that it hurt both of them.

Ouch.

The eraser suddenly stopped moving, resting motionless on the page.

His gaze inevitably lifted toward her, unreadable.

The guilt he'd carried since that day had never faded.

If anything, it had only gotten worse.

[Name] noticed she'd struck a nerve with her comment.

She straightened her posture and looked him in the eye, regretting speaking her thoughts out loud.

Her hand rested gently on his knee.

— Way to kill the mood. Sorry, mi amor. Ignore me.

She laughed softly.

Every now and then she used those affectionate nicknames, even though he always claimed he didn't like them.

But deep down, he was addicted to hearing her voice call him by Spanish nicknames she could barely pronounce correctly.

Miles didn't say anything, simply trying to focus on his notebook again.

If he thought too much about [Name]'s parents, he wouldn't be able to sleep.

He rested his head on her pillow and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

The pillowcase smelled like the shampoo she used.

Green apple, probably.

He buried his face deeper into the pillow.

— I'm still going to keep climbing through your window like always. Period.

His tone left no room for argument.

She already knew convincing him to abandon an idea was nearly impossible.

So she simply sighed.

— Fine. But if you ever get hurt, you're going to hear so much from me. So much, Morales...

The threat made him swallow hard as his imagination immediately pictured her yelling at him.

He almost grined

because he knew that would never happen.

— Relax.

His voice came out muffled by the pillow.

She glanced at him, completely at home in her bed.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

— Hey, is this bed yours now? — she asked, pretending to be annoyed, wearing a bigger smile than she intended.

— What? Am I not allowed to lie here on your bed?

He didn't move an inch.

She took a little too long to answer before settling down beside him.

— You're using my favorite pillow."

— Yeah. Now it's my favorite one too.

He smiled with his eyes closed.

— You're impossible.

When Miles heard her voice so close, he looked at her, resting comfortably beside him.

In moments like that, Miles felt as though only the two of them existed.

Both of them forgot every daily worry just by being together.

Tests, Supervillains, Missing assignments,

Criminals.

Everything disappeared.

That was why he loved spending every spare moment he could with her.

While he was lost in his thoughts, she lit up her phone screen and started typing to someone.

Miles glanced over curiously.

Trying to guess who it was.

— Who are you texting?

— Oh, you don't know them.

Miles frowned, now even more curious than before.

— Just tell me.

She simply looked at him in silence.

A "no" he already knew very well.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds before snatching the phone from her hands.

— Miles!

He raised one arm, keeping her from reaching it.

After some effort, he read the name on the screen.

— Who's Elijah?

The confused question slipped out with a hint of... jealousy.

He tried reading the conversation, but she kept struggling to take the phone back.

— Can you give my phone back?

She pinched his cheek.

— Ow!

Miles ignored her and kept scrolling.

Before long, the struggle for the phone had turned the bed into a battlefield.

She called him ridiculous names while shoving him with one hand.

With the other, she kept trying to grab the phone that he stubbornly held out of reach.

How is he so good at this?

— You idiot. Give it back!

One of her hands landed on his chest.

He caught her wrist, stopping her from reaching the phone before he'd finished reading.

Both of them laughed throughout the little game, wrestling and ending up in increasingly awkward positions.

— Why are you doing a project with him? — he asked, still using all his strength to keep the phone away.

[Name] saw no other option but to climb on top of him to get it back.

— Miles!

He glanced at one of the messages.

— 'Hey cutie, what do you think about—'

His heart skipped a beat as he started reading.

This Elijah guy is bold!

Taking advantage of his distraction, she finally grabbed the phone back, embarrassed.

— Wow. You're so annoying.

— The guy is flirting with you and you ain't saying anything?

His voice sounded... Upset.

— So? What's the big deal?"

— "What's the big deal...'"

He looked away, sulking.

For a moment, [Name] tried to figure out the reason for his sudden change in mood.

Then she realized.

— Aww... is that jealousy?

Against his better judgment, he tried pushing her shoulders to get her off him.

— Jealous? Of course not!"

— Yes, it is!

She stubbornly stayed where she was, wearing that teasing smile only she had.

— Come on. You can tell me. I won't get mad. — She smirked.

Miles was terrible at lying. Even he knew that.

So he was forced into silence to avoid confessing.

Yes. He was jealous.

There shouldn't be another guy trying to flirt with her.

He had never done that himself.

Called her "cutie." Or rather...

Flirted.

It wasn't his fault. He was just afraid she'd take it the wrong way.

(At least, that's what he always told himself.)

But now he was trapped.

He'd gotten jealous and was practically being forced to admit it.

He opened his mouth to try explaining himself.

Maybe he could still change the subject?

But suddenly

her lips cut him off.

He found himself speechless, feeling her lips kissing his.

Her hands gripped the collar of his red sweatshirt, as quickly as they had left the fabric.

The soft smacking sound of her mouth leaving his made his heart leap.

What?

He remained still when she pulled away. His own lips glistening.

Looking at her, [Name] didn't seem to have thought much before acting. She looked away, hesitant.

— Sorry. It was kind of out of nowhere, wasn't it? — She asked awkwardly, wondering if that was a stupid idea.

Miles was still in shock. She had kissed him.

As soon as [Name] realized she was still on top of him, her body was about to automatically get off.

At that moment, his hands held her waist in place.

— No. It's okay, I liked it. — he promptly stated, eager for her to move away.

She looked at him in an awkward silence.

She was always chattering, and now it seemed like she'd lost her tongue. Her face burning.

Miles didn't say anything either. He just pulled her close again and kissed her.

It was unbelievable. His lips pressed against hers, savoring them with such freedom. It was something he never dreamed he'd achieve that day.

[Name] ran a hand through his hair, but for a moment she pulled away, allowing their lips to remain close.

She laughed, disbelieving.

— Oh my God.

— What? — he replied, smiling.

— Did I mess up? — Even though she was asking, there wasn't a hint of regret in her voice.

— No, of course not.

He paused.

It was exactly what I needed. My grandma's move to the infamous Addison Apartments.

Just because the rent is cheaper doesn't mean it's better, Grandma.

I swear I tried to convince her, but as the family's "rebellious teenager," I obviously don't get much of a say.

I pulled on a fluffy white beanie and hoped it wouldn't get stained by the red dye at my roots, which I'd touched up recently.

I'd been making my way to the building for a few days now. It wasn't far from home, and I knew which streets to take, so I didn't waste any time.

I held onto the heavy grocery bags for dear life, hoping none of them would tear open along the way.

Every week was the same.

It was my job to do the shopping and bring everything to my grandma while my parents worked. Honestly, I think I'm building muscle because of it.

I'm pretty sure the snow on the sidewalk is conspiring to make me slip, and with these heavy bags, it would only take a gust of wind for me and the groceries to go sliding down the street.

I sighed. I love my grandma, but I have to admit I still haven't learned to enjoy carrying groceries back and forth for her every day. At least it's not my allowance being spent.

I stepped into the building and felt the familiar chill I'd already given up trying to get used to. I pressed the elevator button.

Suddenly, I heard quick footsteps behind me. I jumped and turned around as casually as possible.

"Hey, Larry," I said, letting out an awkward little laugh out of instinct.

Every time I came by, our paths seemed to cross. Sometimes he was with someone who wore a mask.

Eventually, we were bound to exchange a few words. Secretly, I found the way he carried a conversation pretty attractive.

Focus, [Name]. Do not develop a crush on the guy who lives in your grandma's building.

"Hey. Did I scare you?" He leaned against the wall, striking a tough-guy pose. Did he do that with every girl?

"No. It's just that... this building still gives me the creeps." I shrugged, tightening my grip on the grocery bags.

"Afraid of ghosts?" He smiled and crossed his arms. Behind that carefree grin, I could sense a little more interest in the question.

I shook my head. I'd never really stopped to think about whether I was afraid of spirits.

"No. People are the ones you should be afraid of."

He laughed at my answer, looking surprised.

The elevator doors creaked open. He stepped aside to let me enter first and followed behind me.

"You've got a point."

The doors closed, and the elevator rose a few feet before suddenly stopping.

Larry and I fell silent and looked at each other, as if checking whether we were imagining things.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

"Damn... now what?" I pulled off my beanie, suddenly noticing how warm the elevator had become.

He tried forcing the doors open. Surprisingly, they slid apart partway, revealing a strange, faded wall.

"Are you scared?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"A little. I think I'll only really panic when the elevator starts falling."

"Girl, you're pessimistic."

Larry laughed. It sounded more nervous than amused.

"I'm going to scream. You'd better cover your ears, because I'm going to scream as loud as I can."

I set the groceries down. Larry smiled and stepped back. He looked relieved not to be alone.

"Hello?! Anybody?! The elevator is broken! Help!"

My voice could be pretty sharp when I wanted it to be. Larry winced, leaning against the wall with his hands over his ears.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure someone heard that."

He laughed softly.

"The elevator isn't that far from the floors. Somebody could actually hear us."

I nodded and shouted a few more times until my throat begged for mercy. The elevator didn't move an inch.

"My turn."

Larry stepped toward the door and I gave him space.

I covered my ears when he yelled. His voice was loud, too.

"Larry?! Are you in the elevator?!"

A man's voice echoed from the other side of the wall. Both of us widened our eyes.

"Chug! Yeah! It's stuck!"

Even his voice cracked a little, which was kind of funny.

"Hang on! I'll go get your mom!"

I sat down and rested my head against the elevator's metal wall.

"Well, at least somebody knows we're in here now."

Larry sat beside me and stretched as he pulled off his red hoodie.

I reached into one of the grocery bags and opened a package of cookies. I promised myself I'd buy another one for my grandma the next day.

"Seriously, I'm taking the emergency stairs from now on..."

I offered him one.

"Want one?"

"Thanks."

He took it with a smile.

"Look on the bright side. If we end up living here, you've already done the grocery shopping for the month."

We both laughed. At this point, distracting ourselves until help arrived was about all we could do.

"Clown. "

"See? You think I'm funny. Living here with me wouldn't be so bad." I looked around and then back at him.

"With you, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. But here..."

I caught a certain sparkle in his eyes when I finished the first part of that sentence.

[Name], do not think it's cute to be trapped in an elevator with the guy from your grandma's building.

"How long do you think we're going to be stuck in here?" I asked.

"I don't know. But honestly, it's better than being trapped with Mrs. Gibson." He grimaced at the thought.

"I definitely wouldn't make it out alive."

"Who's that?"

"An old lady on the first floor who hates me." He looked at me, already anticipating my next question.

"Don't ask why."

"Your call." I raised my hands in surrender. He seemed oddly serious about it, so I just nodded.

"I always see you with that blue-haired guy. Can you imagine? Three people stuck in this fifty-year-old elevator?"

"That's Sal, my best friend. I think he'd be really quiet right now. He's anxious."

"And you're not?"

"Nope. I'm pretty laid-back about everything."

Larry stretched out on the elevator floor with his hands behind his neck. He was so tall that he had to bend his legs to lie down completely.

I tried not to stare at him too much.

I think he almost noticed.

"And I'm pretty relaxed being stuck in here with you."

The sincerity in his voice pulled a small, embarrassed laugh out of me.

"It's weird that you haven't freaked out yet. I can be boring sometimes."

I didn't even give him time to answer.

"What were you doing before this?"

"Just... walking around the block. I like listening to music while I'm out by myself."

He pulled a pair of earbuds and an MP3 player out of his pocket.

"Wow. If I could be anywhere right now, I'd be lying in bed under a pile of blankets."

I wrapped my arms around myself. He laughed.

"So that's what you do when you've got nothing else to do? Sleep?" he asked teasingly.

"Of course not. I listen to music, do some embroidery, watch my shows. All from the comfort of my room."

I sighed, already missing all of it.

"Well, you can still listen to music."

He held out one side of the earbuds to me.

I had to move closer so it could reach my ear. Pulling my knees up, I watched him scroll through his MP3 player.

"Let's see if your taste is actually any good," I challenged.

"Of course it is. Whether yours is any good, now that's another story."

The second he hit play, a loud burst of music caught me off guard.

Metal.

Luckily for him, I liked metal too.

After getting used to the volume, I started nodding my head lightly to the beat, a stupid grin spreading across my face.

Larry looked at me and started doing the exact same thing.

And so we stayed like that—listening to music, awkwardly bobbing our heads, exchanging occasional laughs and comments.

Then suddenly, the elevator cable groaned.

The elevator jerked downward a few inches.

The earbud slipped from my ear as I instinctively grabbed onto Larry's shirt.

I caught the scent of his cologne mixing with mine.

It was addictive.

[Name], do not think about what cologne the guy from your grandma's building wears.

"Oh my God."

I snapped back to reality and looked up in alarm.

I barely had time to realize I was still clinging to him in a very embarrassing way.

"Relax. Maybe someone's trying to get us out of here."

His voice came out strangely soft.

I looked at him and finally noticed just how close we were.

The muffled sound of the music still drifted from the earbuds lying on the floor while he stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

I didn't want to be pessimistic and say the elevator was going to fall, but it was the only thing running through my mind.

"Sorry."

I let go of him, embarrassed.

God, that was humiliating.

I think the only way this situation could get worse would be if the elevator actually fell.

"It's okay."

The cable groaned again.

I tensed up, searching for his gaze.

"I know we haven't known each other for very long, but... can you hold my hand?"

I asked, looking down at the floor.

Before I could even reach for him, his hand closed around mine.

"I'm scared too," he admitted with a quiet laugh.

"But at least we won't die alone, right?"

"Don't even say that! We're not going to die." I pointed at his chest as if that were some kind of command. I only wished I sounded as confident as I wanted to.

He laughed, seemingly amused by my attempts to encourage him.

"I can't believe my last meal was cookies..." he said, putting on a dramatic, mournful expression.

"Stop. If I die, I swear I'll haunt the ghosts of the engineers who built this elevator!" I said in frustration.

That earned a laugh from him.

"If we die here, we're going to be stuck in this elevator forever," Larry pointed out.

For some reason, he sounded like he knew exactly what he was talking about.

"At least we're together..."

I squeezed his hand instinctively, as though that could make the situation a little less terrifying.

His gaze shifted from my eyes to my lips.

I immediately looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

[Name], what are you thinking?! Look at him!

I was sure he was laughing at my flushed cheeks.

"So..." He hesitated for a moment. "What do you think about a last kiss before we die?"

He sounded determined, but awkward at the same time.

I looked back at him and couldn't help giving him an ironic smile.

"Last? You mean first. We've never kissed."

"Damn it. You know what I mean!" he exclaimed.

I laughed and dared to lean a little closer, my fingers still intertwined with his.

"Talk about bad luck. Getting stuck in an elevator with me."

"I wouldn't call it bad luck." His expression softened. "I've been paying attention to you ever since you started coming to the building."

Wait, what?

He reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

The touch made my face burn.

Stay calm, [Name].

"Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't lie on my deathbed. I promise."

I rolled my eyes.

"We're not going to die."

"Then maybe something could happen between us after we get out of here?" he asked bluntly. Slowly approaching.

"Yeah, maybe."

I closed my eyes, feeling a small kiss transition into a slow, wet kiss.

I reveled in the sensation of his tongue exploring mine, moving my hand to his face and giving him a few clumsy caresses without breaking the rhythm.

He held my waist to pull me closer. My hand was still pressed against his, and I could feel him caressing it with his thumb every second.

I pulled away from his face and moved to his neck, kissing wherever my heart led me. I felt him caress my hair during my kisses, leaving little nibbles here and there.

For a moment I thought I was going crazy.

Maybe I had really died and this was paradise.

We only stopped kissing when the elevator made another sudden movement.

I screamed, now snuggling completely into his arms.

"Larry. What do we do?" I rested my head on his chest, now clearly little scared.

" Wait for help to arrive. " He tried to calm me down, and then got distracted by fiddling with a hair clip in my hair.

" I never imagined I'd be stroking your hair "

The Heavens, Mewni, and the Underworld. Three of the most influential kingdoms in the entire magical universe.

Who would have thought that the firstborn heirs of each realm would become inseparable friends?

[Name], Star, and Tom grew up together. They saw each other frequently because of parties, organizations, and political meetings held every month to promote cooperation between the kingdoms.

Recently, however, the Kingdom of Heaven and the Underworld had fallen into conflict.

It wasn't exactly news that the two empires didn't get along very well, but the situation had never been this serious.

Their decisions and votes, always opposing one another, resulted in a heated argument during the last meeting.

Even so, [Name] and Tom shared bonds far too strong to be broken by mere family disputes.

Even though the rulers of Heaven had forbidden their daughter from interacting with the Underworld court, it wasn't enough.

"Opposites attract."

That had always been the case for them, even if neither had ever admitted it.

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧

A noise at the window.

Must've just been the wind.

...

Another noise.

From her bed, [Name] turned her head toward the window, searching for the source of the clicking sounds.

Hopefully it's not those damn cupids practicing their aim again...

Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a pair of horns trying to sneak past the lights of the Angelic Guard.

What...?

With quick steps, she unlocked the window and leaned outside.

The sight of Tom standing on the grass and staring up at her made her heart skip a beat. She knew he'd try something like this someday, but not so soon after the fallout between their parents.

— Quick, get in! — She stretched out her hands to reach his and pulled him inside. She felt her wings flap from the force of the movement.

The two of them tumbled awkwardly onto the carpet.

— Ow... — He rubbed his head with a pained grimace.

— Tom, are you crazy? If they had seen you, they could've killed you! — she whispered, nervously glancing toward the door.

— Don't worry. Sneaking past your guards was easy.

At first, [Name] shot him a disapproving look, but she couldn't keep it up for long when he seemed so happy to see her.

Before anything else, she hurried to lock the door.

— Why are you here?

He got up from the floor, scratching the back of his neck.

— Isn't it kind of obvious? I wanted to see you. — His fangs always seemed more noticeable whenever he was embarrassed.

She walked over and guided him to sit beside her on the bed.

Tom ran a hand over the sheets, soft and pleasantly scented. They matched her personality.

— But... what if your parents find out you came here?

— I don't care. No rivalry is going to keep me away from you.

He said it with such determination that her lips parted slightly.

[Name] didn't know what to say. They were best friends, but those words affected her far more than they should have.

She felt her cheeks warming.

Come on! Show some kind of reaction!

— Tom. That's... really nice. — [Name] gathered all her courage and placed her hand over his.

Tom's eyes lit up as he looked at her.

He hadn't expected that from her, since he was usually the one who initiated physical contact.

His fingers found theirs and intertwined with them.

— You know, I couldn't stop talking to you just because of this stupid fight. — She laughed softly.

— If you hadn't come, I would've tried sneaking into your castle myself.

He smiled faintly and shook his head.

— Good thing you didn't. Leave the risky stuff to me.

— Why? I can disguise myself just fine, you know?!

— I know, but I don't want you getting into trouble in my kingdom. It's dangerous.

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, [Name] simply nodded.

— Aww, you care about me! — she teased, making an adorable face.

— Of course I do, you dummy.

She knew that already, but hearing him admit it was so... satisfying.

She squeezed his hand a little tighter.

The silence that settled over the room said everything.

Was this really just a normal moment between friends?

— [Name]. — he called.

Her wings shivered at the way he said her name.

Tom looked like he was preparing himself for something.

— Hmm?

He took a deep breath, nearly stammering.

— Do you... love me? — he asked, trying to sound less shy.

[Name] choked on her own saliva and coughed several times. How could she be so awkward at a moment like this?

— Well... of course.

She shrugged, trying to act natural.

He blinked. He needed the real answer.

— What I mean is... do you love me as more than a best friend?

There it was.

[Name] felt her face gradually turning red as a tomato. She couldn't bring herself to meet the Prince of the Underworld's gaze.

The answer was obvious from her reaction. Her flushed cheeks, her ruffled feathers, her shy eyes...

But Tom would only believe it once she said it.

— Hey, look at me. — He gently held her chin, making their eyes meet.

She blinked a few times.

— Yes! So what?!

She asked defensively, closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his reaction.

Of course she expected something negative. She didn't think he saw her the same way.

Then suddenly, she felt the softness of his lips against hers.

[Name] allowed the kiss to last for a few seconds before pulling back, pressured by her own racing thoughts.

— Wait. Are you sure? Do you really want to kiss me? — She needed to know, or she wouldn't be able to continue.

She watched him lean closer, smiling.

— Yes. I love you, and I really do want to kiss you, [Name]. You dork. — he whispered.

— Don't call me a dork.

This time, [Name] was the one who resumed where they'd left off, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer once again.

Tom gave in. He could hardly believe this was actually happening.