Valemir's night came wrapped in warm golds and soft jazz humming from streetside cafés. Somewhere between skyscrapers and silence, the city pulsed—alive, beautiful, and utterly unaware of the power couple slowly shifting from strangers to something else entirely.
Elsa returned to her penthouse later than usual. The day had been one long warzone of boardroom traps, leaked files, and polished betrayals. She kicked off her heels the second the door closed, dropped her bag with a sigh, and was halfway toward the wine cabinet when—
"You should learn to lock your door."
She turned sharply.
Chess was sprawled across her couch, barefoot, hoodie half-zipped, a glass of water in hand like he owned the place.
"I should learn to throw things at intruders," she shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"I brought snacks," he said, lifting a brown paper bag filled with buttery popcorn and artisanal chocolate. "Diplomatic immunity."
She paused... then smiled. "You are so weird."
He stood and stepped closer. "You look tired."
"I'm running a billion-dollar company and fighting off corporate snakes with better PR teams than swords. What gave it away?"
He looked at her in a way that made her forget how exhausting her day had been.
"Come here," he said softly.
And for once, she didn't resist.
Elsa let him guide her to the couch, sitting beside him as he reached into the bag and handed her a piece of chocolate.
She popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes. "Mmh. Okay, fine. You can stay."
"I was already planning on it."
She leaned into the couch, shoulder brushing his. "You're different when you're not being... mysterious."
"I'm not mysterious," he said with a grin. "I'm selectively transparent."
She laughed. "That's the most suspicious sentence I've ever heard."
Silence settled between them. But this time, it wasn't heavy. It was warm. Like an exhale.
"You always carry the weight of the world," she murmured. "But tonight... let it go. Just be here."
Chess turned slightly, meeting her eyes. "That's not easy for me."
"I know. But it should be."
She reached up, brushing a strand of hair from his face. He didn't flinch or pull away. In fact, he leaned into her touch.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let me be your soft place, Chess. You don't always have to be the blade."
His breath hitched.
Then he kissed her.
Not with urgency or hunger—but with depth. With quiet. With everything he couldn't say with words. And she responded in kind, melting into the kiss like it was the first thing that had made sense all week.
When they pulled apart, he pressed his forehead to hers.
"You scare me," he said.
"Why?"
"Because with you, I want things I never allowed myself to want."
Elsa held his hand. "Then let yourself want them."
He looked at their intertwined fingers. "No one ever believed in me without needing something in return."
She traced circles on his palm. "Then you've never met someone like me."
He didn't argue.
Later That Night – Elsa's Balcony
Wrapped in one of his hoodies and sipping hot cocoa, Elsa stood beside Chess, her head resting on his shoulder as they watched the city lights below.
"Do you ever wonder what we'd be like... if none of this madness existed?" she asked.
"I'd probably be a boring martial arts teacher with a secret garden."
She snorted. "You? Teaching children tai chi in a bamboo grove? I don't buy it."
"Well," he said with a smirk, "I'd still have the hoodie game on lock."
She giggled. "I think... I'd be a fashion designer in some lazy coastal town. Designing dresses for sunrises and walks on the beach."
"You could still be that," he murmured.
She looked up. "And you?"
"I'm not done being a weapon yet," he admitted. "But when the war ends... maybe I'll learn how to live."
"Maybe," she whispered, "I'll be the one who teaches you."
Meanwhile – In the Shadows
Kip Mandari watched a live feed from Elsa's penthouse. He leaned forward, rage flickering behind his too-smooth smile.
"They're getting too close," he muttered.
Behind him, the hooded figure appeared again. "Then break them. Not by killing. By dismantling."
Kip grinned. "Let's see how strong her heart is when it's used against her."