Love beyond labels

Chapter eleven

The day of the meeting, Miro was frantically digging through his closet for an outfit to wear for his “very professional meeting” with Mia.
He didn’t want to wear a suit, the meeting was at his home, after all, but he also didn’t want to wear just anything.
He wanted to look good.
He wanted to look good for her.
As he rummaged through the closet, something dark green and crocheted caught his eye. He pulled the piece of clothing out from under a large pile of clothes.
He held it up, staring at it for a second.
Why and when did I buy this?
Wait… this is…
It’s the outfit Jungkook wore on one of his lives.
Oh.
Yeah, that’s why I bought this.
Time to wear this.
“Do you think she’ll like this, Coffee?” he asked.
“Meow.”
After changing, he headed straight to the kitchen while Coffee followed him.
“I should start cooking.”
“Do you think she’ll like pasta?”
Coffee meowed again, a decisive one.
“Okay then,” Miro said, taking a deep breath.
“Let’s cook pasta.”
As Miro was busy in the kitchen adding final touches to the spread he had prepared for Mia, he heard the doorbell ring.
She here.
SHE'S HERE!!!
OMG OH MY GOD!
okay ok calm down it's just work
You are only going to talk about work no need to panic right.....?
Miro opened the door, cool and composed.
Or he thought.
But as soon as the door opened and he saw her, he melted like a popsicle on a hot summer day.
There she was.
Looking as beautiful as ever.
She wasn't wearing her usual corporate baddie clothes. Instead, she was wearing a cute twirly dress with a chunky knit cardigan.
As she was taking off her shoes, he noticed something.
She was wearing glasses today.
How cute.
And that felt familiar.
At that moment she looked up.
And their eyes met.
Something sparked.
A memory that had been buried long ago.
Something about those eyes…
I remember the way she looked at me.
It's the same look she had years ago when I first saw her.
Now I understand why her gaze felt so familiar.
It was her.
The girl that gave me sleepless nights.
Every night I lay down on my bed wide awake thinking about her.
The way she looked.
The way she looked at me.
The way I knew I’ll never meet her again…
Or I thought so.
But here we were.
Five years later.
Looking in each other's eyes as if nothing's changed.
As if I just imagined those five years.
And there she was.
The girl I fell in love with at first glance.
And could never forget about.
He welcomed her in.
"Miss D'Souza please come in"
She nodded, clutching her bag strap.
She stepped in, looking around.
He suddenly started panicking.
Is the house clean enough?
Is the couch tidy?
Before he went into a spiral he asked,
"Would like you some tea?"
"Um sure..."
Miro went to the kitchen to make them tea and Mia followed along.
As he was pouring hot water into cups he heard her say,
"Hi baby, who are you?"
Miro turned to look who she was talking to.
And lo and behold it was Coffee.
Brushing against her leg as she was gently caressing his head.
Looks like she likes cats too.
Why is this making me happier than it should?
And why am I falling for her even more.
"That's Coffee," Miro said pointing at his son.
"Oh Coffee. That name suits him very much."
She said with a wide smile on her face.
Coffee purred loudly, rubbing himself all over Mia’s legs like he’d known her for years.
She crouched down to pet him properly.
Miro went to Mia with two cups of tea.
"Careful it's hot"
He said as he handed her one of the cups.
"Thanks"
She said as she took the cup of tea with both hands.
Miro gestured her to his living room.
Mia sat down on the couch.
It was so soft she nearly sank into it, but she tried to keep her posture straight.
It was funny and endearing at the same time.
She is gonna kill me with her cuteness.
He sat beside her.
Not too close.
But close enough to notice she smelled like sweet strawberries.
Laptops lay open.
Folders scattered across the table.
They started working on the project.
Halfway through the project Miro sensed the energy shift.
It wasn't bold.
But not too subtle that he wouldn't notice.
It was Mia.
She wasn't looking at the laptop screen.
Her gaze was somewhere else.
On him.
It wasn't obvious.
But he knew she was looking at him.
His tattoo under the see-through crocheted shirt.
Usually covered by crisp suits.
Is she looking at me?
And where is she looking at?
He reached for a document across the table.
And fabric moved.
Revealing more ink on his body.
For a second she went still.
And for a second he did as well.
Her eyes widened.
She quickly looked away.
At the laptop screen.
Straightening her posture as if she had seen something forbidden.
He leaned back deliberately slow.
Just enough to see if she would look again.
And when he looked at her, her eyes betrayed her.
And he felt it too.
The tension.
The invisible thread.
Pulling them closer in ways he wasn't sure he could stop.
He cleared his throat.
Forcing his attention back at the project.
But he could sense her burning gaze on him.
After that the time passed quietly.
Each minute folding onto another as they worked side by side.
Time flew by.
Minutes turned into hours.
It wasn't awkward.
It was peaceful.
Every now and then Miro and Mia stole glances at each other.
Miro saw Mia looking at time on her phone.
It was past 9:00 pm.
"Oh no, I should get going"
She said as she slipped her laptop into the her bag.
Wait she's leaving no.
Miro panicked.
And without thinking much he blurted out
"Stay"
Mia froze in her steps.
And blinked.
Miro still in panic mode.
"Not like stay the night, unless wait no!
Stop Miro stop what the f are saying for god's sake stop talking"
Mia just stood there.
Eyes as wide as shock could stretch them.
Miro quickly said
"I mean I made dinner. Pasta hope like pasta"
"Okay.."
Mia said quietly.
As they cleared the plates together Miro told himself to focus on the task.
Plates.
Cleaning.
The sound of running water.
Not her.
But when their hands brushed together.
His hand lingered.
Neither retreating nor pressing further.
He should have stepped back immediately.
That would have been the sensible thing.
But he didn't.
Neither did she.
His thumb moved.
Grazed her knuckle.
Careful.
Measured.
As though asking for permission without words.
A silent question.
Mia looked up.
And he was already looking at her.
He took a slow step closer.
Careful and unhurried.
Giving her space to step back if she wished.
His eyes held hers quietly.
Not pressing.
Just asking.
He needed to know she was comfortable.
That she didn’t feel trapped.
He needed to know she felt it too.
That the invisible thread tugging at him was tugging at her too.
"Mia"
He said softly.
Her name sounded more vulnerable than he wanted it to.
"Huh"
She said barely a whisper.
“There’s something I’ve been trying not to say,” Miro murmured.
His voice quieter than usual.
As though the words themselves required care.
“But it’s getting harder to keep it in.”
He hadn’t meant to speak so soon.
Hadn’t meant to say anything tonight at all.
Yet the silence between them had begun to feel louder than words.
Filled with questions neither of them had asked aloud.
Her breath caught.
He noticed the way her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the counter.
Something in the air shifted.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
Like the room itself was holding still.
Miro took a slow step forward.
Not to pressure her.
Not to rush the moment.
Just closer.
She stepped back.
The movement was small.
Instinctive.
He immediately slowed.
Watching her carefully.
Giving her time.
Giving her space to stop this before it went further.
But she didn’t step away entirely.
Another step brought them nearer.
The quiet between them deepening.
With each step closed.
Her back met the wall with a soft thud.
Miro paused.

What mattered was what she wanted.
Not what he felt.
But then she turned her head slightly.
Just enough to slow the moment.
Her breath came shallow.
“We shouldn’t,” she said.
The words fragile.
As if they had escaped before she could hold them back.
Miro stilled.
He didn’t step away immediately.
But he didn’t move closer either.
He stayed exactly where he was.
Close enough to feel the warmth of her breath.
Careful not to take more than she gave.
His hand hovered near her waist.
“I know,” he said softly.
He did know.
He knew the weight this carried.
He knew that whatever existed between them was no longer simple curiosity or passing attraction.
He knew that this happened meant allowing himself to be fully seen one day.
But he also knew the quiet pull that had been growing between them since the night they met.
He leaned in just slightly.
Only enough to remain within that fragile space they now shared.
Their lips hovered a breath apart.
Almost touching.