Mikhail's pov
I didn't know what to do as all four faces, two smiling, two fake smiling, looked at me.
"Asalam Alaikum," I ended up saying having nothing else in mind, I quickly fixed myself up knowing my father was throwing daggers at my attire, "walaikum Asalam," Mr and Mrs Ibrahim replied.
Mr Ibrahim looked the same as I remembered, tall, lean and with that moustache of his, a few grey hairs had sprouted around his head but nothing else. And Mrs Ibrahim had on the most brightest clothing with her hair curled and her face heavily made up with makeup, I felt her scrutinizing me from head and to toe and awkwardly coughed waiting for my father to give me some type of instructions.
I guess he was too angry though for my mother intervened and said, "Mikhail go to your room and change, be quick, Mahra is coming soon." I nodded while feeling nervousness run through me, why were they here?
I climbed up the stairs to my room running a hand through my hair to ease the tension I was going through, I expected the sight of my bed to make me happier but instead it gave me a sort of dreadful feeling. I quickly changed, throwing the day old shirt into the laundry and pulling on a hoodie but then changing it for a button down shirt and some jeans. Knowing that a hoodie would have given me a year long scolding from my father.
It was evening and I wanted to do nothing more than just jump on my bed and go to sleep but I knew that wouldn't be possible. I put my phone on charge and as it turned on I saw a text from my dad a few minutes ago.
Dress appropriately. Open door for Mahra when she comes. Charm her, make this relation with this family work or else.
I read it over twice and sighed rubbing a hand over my face before throwing the phone back onto the bed. The first time he told me about all this he had said that if I were to go with it, it'd make him proud. But now it just seems like it's for his own personal gain.
I noticed something had fallen out of my jacket and when I picked it up it just so happened to be the photograph of my brother and I. I suddenly missed him so much, if he were still here I knew things would be different. My family would be different.
But Allah always makes things happen for a reason.
So with that thought, I prayed and finished giving my du'aa just as the door bell rang. I straightened my shirt down and and got up to go answer the door.
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Rafa's pov
"When did this happen? Why did this happen?! How?! Where?!" My mother screeched out at me with her arms in the air and one foot ready to take off the slipper and use it on me.
I raised my palms and tried to calm her down as I saw Raif causally sit on the sofa and drink from a juice box watching this whole thing unfold.
"Mother, madré, mommy listen, I'm a stupid teenager who can't use her brain at all, I had no right to jump into a decision like that, I will now forever live with this and uh what else, oh uhm I'm a big disgrace and you're contemplating sending me to our home country so I learn to behave BUT...but remember it's Raif that started this," I said quickly pointing a finger at Raif who started choking on his juice.
Now it was my turn to sit back as my mother pounced on Raif with her words and rants,it was truly an amazing sight. "It is, it so is! You young man are in so much trouble, did you even bother to think about your safety huh did you? If you died I would have died!" And then the slipper came off, Raif caught it though sadly.
"But I didn't which is the best part, did you even see my Instagram mother?" He whipped out his phone and wrapped an arm around my mom showing her the screen, she started loosening up and this brother of mine betrays me once again by saying, "ok back to Rafa, she's still married remember."
But thankfully my father intervened and puts down my mother's arms as she was about to go full rant on me, "take a chill pill dr.bill-"
"Ew father." Raif said.
"Sorry I thought I was cool," he sighed while wrapping his hands around my mother, "you're excused," I said.
"But YOU aren't excused missy, call Mikhail right now so we can properly talk about this and I can analyze the documents-" my mother squealed and put a hand to her heart, we looked at her and then my dad continued, "if they're valid they need my signature and his father's which if I'm not mistake you two did not get."
"Yeah.." I said looking off at the wall feelings bit awkward now.
"Now I know you two are "in love" and all but-"
"YOU ARE?!" Raif screeched falling onto the sofa once again and saying, "I knew it!" once again, I scowled and threw a pillow at him.
And then quickly said, "but the thing is uhm we haven't declared that part yet and uh," I was feeling hella awkward now, I guess my mother could sense it though for she clapped her hands, threw my father's off of her and pushed Raif and him out the living room, "out you go boys, it's female time."
My mother then sat me down squished my cheeks and said, "at least you picked a good boy."
"But see mother that's the thing, I didn't pick, it just sort of happened, we were in the moment, we both wanted to go find Raif and didn't want it to be haram and stuff so we just went with that, it sounds so stupid now but it made so much sense then and I don't know what to do and I just fee-"
"Okay okay wow calm down darling," she said shutting me up, my rants are on high mode whenever I'm nervous.
She didn't say anything for a while as I looked downwards twiddling my thumbs, but then finally she asked, "do you love him?"
"Uh well I didn't use to I thought he was just a friend y'know and like I didn't even think of him like that, sure he's attractive and stuff, but like I didn't and I just-"
"Rafa answer the question."
"Yes. Yes I do," I burst out and my mother smiled, she pretended to wipe a tear or two as she said, "they grow up so fast. Okay well I'll see how I'll talk to his mother, about you two since you're so young and all you can't go off together--"
"Wait mother, I uhm there's a problem." I said while pinching the bridge of my nose, she scanned me over and then leaped up suddenly screeching, "don't you dare tell me you're pregnant! Wallahi I will throw you down a mountain!!"
"No no no no nooo, sit down, it's not that at all!" I said blushing from my toes to the tips of my hair. She glared at me but then sat down, "it's that uh, I haven't told him that yet."
"Told him what?" She said cluelessly, I groaned and said, "that I you know him."
"No I don't know," she said but I knew there was a sneaky smile on her face, "mami!" I screeched blushing even harder.
How do white people so easily talk with their mothers about boys, this thing is harder than a calculus test.
"Ok ok hon, sorry, but seriously Rafa you spent days and couldn't utter it out?" She seemed really sarcastic and I managed a chuckle, "it was hard." She put an arm around me and squeezed, "I know I know."
"But I guess we know what to do now," she said as I rested my head on her shoulder.
"ITS TIME TO GO TELL HIM!" Raif sudden yelled coming through the door. I groaned as my father walked in behind him, now knowing that they heard most of the convo. My mother sighed at them and then said, "exactly what your brother said. Go on, go get him."
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I couldn't get him.
I was a wimp.
It was too cold.
And wet.
And dark.
And my mouth and brain weren't working.
I didn't know how I should tell him. I had been standing outside his house door for probably thirty minutes, first I had wondered why there were two extra cars in the driveway and then I had wondered why Mikhail parked so bad. And now I was wondering about how his father managed to shovel the path to the door without having Mikhail there to do it.
So much things to wonder about. And then my phone rang so I quickly turned from the door and opened it, "hello?!"
"Did you do it!" My parents screeched or mostly my mother, I gave an audible no, and my mother groaned as I could hear Raif say in the background, "good! She's gonna steal my best friend it's good she didn't do it!"
My mother said some encouraging things and then my father piped in, "you want me to read my speech to you, the one I wrote when I declared my love for your mother?"
"No thanks father," I said with a grin. My mother then rushed out, "do it darling, I know you can, face your fears-" Raif interrupted, "what fears? Is she afraid of boys, hahah what a classic, good job Rafa!" I heard a clunk and then an ouch for him as my mother continued, "as I was saying- I know you're shy but just come out of your shell, Mikhail is probably dying to hear from you!"
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Mikhail's pov
I was literally dying to hear Rafa's voice.
This girl, Mahra, won't stop talking, I'm not even kidding, there's some type of machine or something in her, she wasn't this chatty on the phone. Or maybe she was but I just kept cutting her off and hanging up on her.
Right now we were all sitting at the table and as she talked and talked and as I nearly died and died, I couldn't help but think of how if this was Rafa I would enjoy it so much more.
Rafa had interesting things to say, this girl though has been talking about how she chipped her nail and couldn't file some damn files right for at least an hour.
Her parents and my parents are so absorbed I don't even know why.
When I first opened the door for her I expected some lean version of her mother, instead I got a really tall girl, almost the same height as me and I'm super tall. With long blondish hair, completely different from the photo my mother showed me and from what I remember meeting as a child. She had really pale skin covered with lots of foundation and the only thing I could really compliment her on was her smile, I had to be nice.
I looked at my wristwatch and then yawned, I saw my father throw me a glare so I quickly straightened up and focused on what she was saying.
"So then I put it in but it wouldn't go in!" She squealed and all the grown ups laughed while I laughed too but only because I thought of Raif saying 'that's what she said.'
And finally,finally, finally, she had nothing left to say. Too bad my mother then said, "Mikhail why don't you take Mahra to your room and maybe play some piano for her." I nodded even though I really didn't want to.
I would gladly show her my piano skills but not when we're alone, if only mother stopped acting non-religiously in front of people who weren't all that religious. It just goes to show how she's willing to do anything to impress somebody.
I got up and forced a smile to Mahra, who giddily looked at me getting up to follow. I lead her out of the living room and the girl who wouldn't stop talking before was now the girl who wouldn't stop blushing.
"Soo uh what are your hobbies?" I asked as we climbed up the stairs . I felt weird, now that I think about it I have never had a proper conversation with a female other than Rafa.
She blushed, like super red and I held in a chuckle as she stuttered out, "uh reading."
"Really? My friend Raf- I mean cat, uhm nevermind," I said trying to shut myself up. Good thing I had said friend and not wife. That would have led to bad things.
"Here's my room," I said meeting her eyes, they were a pale brown and I couldn't find anything special about them, not like I did every time I looked into Rafa's.
I had to stop thinking about her, I really did. "It's nice, O-m-g the color combo reminds me of the time I went to Germany, so basically I was staying at this medieval type hotel right. And they had these curtains and drapes and these cute little knights and omg I saw-"
I tuned her out.
I couldn't do it. My ears hurt.
So I stood there thinking about random things as she blubbered and blubbered, I smiled and nodded at random times just to pretend I was listening. Now don't get me wrong, she's nice and all but wow does she have a voice box.
I realized she had finally stopped talking and quickly smiled, "cool." I said and she grinned at me, "I think you're cool."
I coughed and held back an awkward chuckle, "thanks."
"Where's the bathroom?" She asked and I pointe her towards the one out in the hallway, my bathroom in my bedroom was just mine.
When she left I dropped all the fake smiles and joyous mood as I sighed and fell back down onto my bed. How am I going to be with her.
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Rafa's pov
I contemplated on ringing the doorbell but then went against it. What if his mother answered. I can't deal with her right now.
So like I had done about a week ago, I snuck to the backyard towards the back door spotting the light being on in his room, I thought I saw two shadows moving but I must be mistaken.
I tested my luck once again and it magically opened. These people are going to get robbed one day if they keep leaving this door open. But for today the only thing I'm going to rob (hopefully) is Mikhail's heart.
I think it's the cold or something, I have ever had such a cheesy thought.
I peeped through first looking out for his parents. When I didn't see anything I tiptoed inside and gently shut the door quickly taking my shoes off and instead of holding them with me like I did last time, I put them outside, hiding them in the corner of the step.
I then quickly tiptoed over the landing noticing that there were more than a few voices coming from the dining room which was thankfully a sealed section beside the living room.
So I quickly rushed past and padded onto the stairs. I tried to peep in the dining too, but was too scared to get caught so I dashed up and made it to the hallway. I passed by Mikhail's brothers room which made me feel sad and then passed by the bathroom, noting that it was occupied. It could be his mother!
So I quickly ran towards his bedroom. Now came the part that I didn't think through.
I gently opened it and tiptoed in, immediately getting surrounded with a musky,manly smell. I loosened my hijab feeling as if it was too tight, wisps of my hair came out but I ignored them letting them fall over my face. I shut the door behind me and locked it, just in case. I padded forward and a billion butterflies rushed through my stomach as I saw him laying flat on his back staring at the ceiling.
He looked up suddenly and I freezed in my spot as our eyes met.
"Rafa?" He said standing up.
I couldn't help but notice how good he looked with his tousled hair and his buttoned down shirt with the first two buttons open.
I couldn't help keep the butterflies from swarming through me.
And I couldn't help closing the distance between us completely and pressing my lips against his.
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Mikhail's pov
I suddenly forgot about everything.
My parents. Mahra. The engagement.
Everything except how soft her lips were against mine, how warm her hands felt against my chest. The feel of her hips right below mine, her size perfectly fitting into me.
I growled a bit as I bit her lower lip tugging her even more closer. "Mikhail," she gasped and I loved the sound coming out so much that I pulled her face back towards mine.
I felt her small hands running up my neck towards my hair and I clawed at her jacket to remove the excess barrier. I didn't know what was happening at all but I knew I needed her closer to me.
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Rafa's pov
I liked how this was all working out. Sometimes the best plans are the last second ones, I thought as I felt him throw my jacket off. My scarf had completely loosened and pooled around my shoulders.
"Mikhail I...", I tried again but he put his lips on my neck and my voice got stuck in my throat. "Hmm?" He said but didn't give me anytime to reply as his ever so soft yet hard lips moulded themselves against mine. I felt like I was on cloud nine. The only solid thing I felt was his shoulders right under my fingers and the back of the wall he just pushed me up against.
I held in a groan as he bit at my skin and ran a hand up the side of my neck and into my hair. I could feel how fast his heart was racing as our eyes met, both dazed over with lust yet somehow I still managed to whisper, "Mikhail I love you."
And then door knocking came and a voice, female, young, clearly not Mikhail's mother yelled, "Mikhail why is your door locked?"
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Lot of pov switches and it's not edited, I'm too tired sorry lol hope you liked it, Rafa finally admitted it YAYAYAY party time.....or maybe not XD