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Yor peeked at Loid as he collected his things by the door.
Loid seemed nothing if not a creature of habit. Their past few months together had ingrained his idiosyncrasies in her mind.
A hat. A pair of gloves. An umbrella just in case.
Nimble hands made quick work of those gloves as Yor’s mind raced to this time yesterday, when his usual routine had been thrown off by an innocent question.
…
“Papa, why don’t you ever kiss Mama goodbye?”
Anya’s large eyes bore into Loid’s. Yor froze at the sink, slippery plate only just saved from disaster.
Loid’s eyes connected with Yor’s as he paused, hand outstretched to ruffle Anya’s hair. A million calculations performed in the blink of an eye.
Anya knew this was fake, but her question was reasonable. Loid treated her like a daughter, and they continued to behave like a family even away from prying eyes. Anya received goodbye kisses. Why shouldn’t Yor?
What Anya didn’t understand was that once kisses start among adults, they were difficult to stop. Their fake relationship with Anya was straightforward, but adult boundaries were complicated. Emotions even more so.
But Anya had asked earnestly, and as complicated as the answer may be, there were ways to put it to bed without explaining the dance of his and Yor’s relationship.
“Because I wasn’t sure if Yor would like one,” he said pleasantly. He turned with a smile to Yor, his open expression placing the ball in her court. Which was the last place she wanted it.
“Ah, Anya – ” she flustered, glancing between them.
A kiss made sense. They were adults, right? He was just teaching Anya open communication. This wasn’t a proposition or a romantic gesture. It was a simple gesture between three fake family members. And if she didn’t want one, she could just tell the truth.
“O-Of course I would!” she beamed, wiping her shaking hands on a dish towel. She hoped her nervousness wasn’t too obvious as she placed a hand on his lapel and pressed her lips against his.
Loid tensed for a brief moment before placing a hand on her tricep. When she pulled away, he gave her a soft squeeze.
“Be good at school today!” he nodded to Anya before donning his hat and leaving.
….
Back to the present.
Perhaps more awkward than initiating their first kiss was the question of whether or not it would happen today. Should she look expectant? Would she seem disappointed if he didn’t? Should she leave the room to avoid the issue altogether?
The decision was made for her when Loid passed her on the way to the door. She heard the door open and tried not to let her disappointment show, turning to Anya with a bright smile.
“Ah, forgot.”
Yor turned and in the blink of an eye was caught by a pair of warm lips that pressed themselves against hers.
It was too quick to remember, and she almost wished it had been longer. Her eyes flicked up to meet Loid’s, a soft knowing smile gracing his features, and perhaps a hint of uncertainty.
“Have a good day dear,” he whispered, before nodding to Anya who was seated at the counter.
“Be good at school today!”
Yor heard the door close. Her heartbeat was deafening.
“I’m glad Mama got her kiss.”
Yor turned around to see Anya peering slyly at her over a bowl of cereal.
Involuntarily, Yor’s face broke into a sunny smile.
“Yes Anya. Me too.”