Mia couldn't understand what was going on inside her or why her thoughts were racing as well as her heart, the way her pupils dilated at the sight of a certain someone... maybe it was all a product of the feeling of security and the tiredness when Karl offered to carry her back home, a few blocks away to finally rest. He lifted her with ease as if she were pure air. Mia was surprised when he asked if she was exhausted (maybe it was the fact that she had dark circles under her eyes, but she couldn't rest at all after that fight in the park), the surprise was even greater when she felt the man's strong arms hold her so deftly. She put her arms around his neck for support, seeing only his beard dripping with rainwater and his chest covered with dirt and leaves. Deep inside she knew he was only being gentle but for a few seconds, she felt her face heat up and her cheek press against his chest, confident enough to nod off on the way back.

Karl opened the door with a brief movement of his right hand that held Mia's legs, leaving his muddy boots on the door and closing it with his back, he looked down and only at that moment noticed that she had fallen asleep - still with her arms around him, hands trembling to hold themselves in place. He turned on the living room lamp, not knowing what to do with her already asleep. He took a few steps into the living room and set her down carefully on the couch, bending down to remove her gardening boot. He was careful enough not to wake her, removing the pair quietly - a sound of something scraping on a soft surface, Mia awoke.

"...Are we finally home...?" She asked, her voice sleepy, trying to sit up.

"Y-Yes, you slept on the way home...I was taking your shoes off so I could lay you down on the couch." Karl justified himself even though she hadn't asked anything beyond that, taking the boots to the doorway.

"Ah..." She blushed, the right side of her body still feeling the warmth of his chest. "...Sorry, I hadn't slept yet."

"It's okay, you can rest now. I'm going to take a shower and go to the garage." He replied briefly, removing his hat and leaving it hanging on a hook on the wall.

Mia rubbed one hand over the other nervously, biting the corner of her lip and turning away.

"Wait..." she whispered, causing Karl to stop midway.

"...Hm?"

"It's just... I... I'm not feeling well enough to sleep, and I don't want to wake Ethan and Rose..." She looked around, searching for a way to say that without sounding too suggestive. "...Would it be okay if after the shower you...stayed here? With me? It's - just until I feel like sleeping...!"

Karl frowned, looking up the stairs and thinking about a possible Ethan showing up in the room and losing his mind at the sight of the two together in the living room, but Mia seemed to be anxious and from the question, she didn't want to see her husband's face anytime soon.

"I'll... I'll think about it and be right back, okay?" He said, sighing.

Mia just nodded, clasping one hand in the other wondering if that wasn't too weird a question to ask at a time like this, if she wasn't demanding too much of him so soon after all the confusion, then her anxiety was only heightened as soon as she heard the bathroom lock turn and she was alone with the lamp on the living room. Her clothes weren't so wet from the rain but she decided to light the fire anyway to warm herself a little. A little wood, matches, and that was it. That was what she needed, wasn't it? Something to keep her warm, just for a few moments. The wood slowly burned before her eyes, small flames floated through the air and went out with the cold, becoming ashes. "Things can't stay like this, we can't keep pushing people away from our daughter...be afraid of the world...just like me." Mia thought, frowning and shedding a few tears over her face. Ethan was very stubborn, tiresome even most of the time... he could be a protective father, a supportive husband, hard-working... but when he was convinced of something it was very hard to change his mind.

"...Are you feeling all right?" A voice came up behind her, as did footsteps on the carpet.

"Uh? A-Ah..." She dried her face with a smile, looking at Karl already in the clothes the BSAA had given him, washed and dried. "I am...j-just tired..."

"Hm..." Karl stooped down beside her sitting with his left leg bent and his right leg straight, watching the fire. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For going to talk to Ethan so early, it wasn't the time yet..."

"No...you don't have to apologize for trying to talk, it's Ethan who has to apologize...God, I had no idea he was going to punch you in the face so suddenly." She shook her head, threatening to cry again.

"It's okay, that punch was the least of the bad things I've been through in my life. I'm used to it..."

"It's just that you're not supposed to accept that kind of thing now, Karl!"

"Haha... relax, you don't have to stress out so much with me. You've already done too much for me." He confessed, smiling gently at her.

"I-I did?"

Karl nodded, touching her right hand in affirmation.

Mia stared at him briefly, a tear ran down her cheek and she began to cry, lifting an arm toward him to hug him but ended up leaning on his leg. Karl lifted his shoulders in reflection of her approach, lowering his eyebrows with a sigh.

"Oh, please don't cry...I've softened up too much since I got here..." He hesitated to touch her hair, afraid Ethan would show up, so he just patted her back to calm her down. "There, there..."

"I don't want Rose to grow up on her own...I don't want some fucking organization after her...my daughter hasn't even arrived in the world and everyone sees her as a...thing! An object...!" Mia whispered between sobs, her voice trembling along with her hands, still leaning into Karl.

"Ha..." Karl breathed inwardly, shaking his head. "...she sure won't...I wish I'd had parents who protected me as much as you do her, it would have been all very different now. Don't be sad that you are good parents..."

Mia lifted her head slowly, drying her cheek over her left shoulder noting the sad look in Karl's expression. She sat up slowly, getting close to him and clasping one hand in the other, still shedding a few tears. The man was not uncomfortable this time, looking at her with a dull smile stamped on his face, his guard completely down.

"...I'm...just afraid of us creating some...barrier in her life, you know, of meeting other people."

"Look, I don't understand anything about raising children... but, I'll tell you something..." He closed his eyes, scratching his beard as he hesitated to continue. "...If you promise to leave it between us."

"Sure."

"When I was fifteen, Miranda had asked me to plant some rose bushes near the old church, so like the obedient puppy that I was, I went there to do the task. I don't remember exactly how it happened...but I do remember fetching water at the well far away from there, I left the pot of seeds near a bush and when I came back they were no longer there."

"Did you know who did it?"

"No! I suspected it was my brothers, but they were all present at a meeting at Dimitrescu's castle so I assume it was some wild animal...the problem is that when Miranda heard that the seeds were gone...ah..." He licked his lips, laughing nervously. "She took me into the middle of the forest by the hair and tied me to a tree, left me right there for the rest of the night. I remember seeing and hearing creepy things - I didn't know if it was in my head if I really saw it all, but my hands and feet were purple from the cold. I wasn't released until late afternoon the next day."

"Karl..." Mia listened to everything feeling an ache in her chest, how could anyone suffer so much.

"So...if you think you're doing it wrong...surely she's better off than I am." He joked, looking away to the kitchen.

"...I-I'm...really sorry."

"Relax. At least you understand more why I wanted to get out of there."

"...I do understand." She came closer, tilting her head to the side. "Can I... ask you a question?"

"Hm?" Karl looked at her, only the light from the fireplace illuminating his face.

"Do I make you happy?"

"..." He looked into her moist eyes, surprised at the sudden question. He bent his right leg and let his left leg straight, resting his right arm on his knee. "Well, I...I'm just living for real now, let's just say that everything before was a lie and I don't know what happiness actually means...but...yeah, you make me forget some bad things. Why the question?"

"Well..." She ducked her head, thinking of the right words. "...to be honest with you I've only heard that once from Ethan, maybe twice to be fair." She tapped her thumbnails together, lifting her gaze to Karl. "I didn't realize I was so good at making others happy.

"There's your answer then..." Karl joked, returning his gaze to the fire. "But why doesn't he tell you more often?"

"I honestly don't know, but ever since we ran away from the Bakers he seems kind of distant...I don't blame him. It's just that...I miss hearing those things."

"I hope he comes back soon then...you're an amazing person, I think I'd talk about it till I got tired of it!" He said naturally, swinging his left foot slowly.

Mia's heart palpitated, causing her to blush a deep shade of red.

"...Do you think I'm amazing?"

"Look, I won't repeat whether you understood!"

Karl felt a hand on his thigh, timidly pressing his skin. He turned his face slowly toward Mia, trying to understand what she wanted with that touch, waiting for her to say something or just tell him to leave. He felt another hand touch the corner of his face and pull him gently closer, her lips brushing briefly against his making him jump in surprise. Not in a thousand years could he have imagined that she would approach him like that, much less at a time like this. It was a strange and new sensation - like a wave breaking over the rocks of the beach, like the sunrise, the breeze hitting his face. Mia was rushed, wild, wrapping her open hand behind his neck and making room to kiss him more deeply. Karl was paralyzed with the first kiss - as unexpected as it was - yet a bell rang in his head and he carefully pulled her away, gasping.

Mia tugged at his hair affectionately, trying to seek more warmth with him, however, the man kept her away in a firm manner, frowning.

"What are you doing?!" He whispered, now deeply angry.

"I-I..."

Before she could say anything, the two were surprised by the lights in the room turning on and both turned to see Ethan standing near the switch, incredulous at what he was seeing.

"Mia?"

She jumped, looking around startled when she saw Karl's face, confused.

"What's the question?"

Oh, God.

"Damn, I imagined too many things." She whispered, pressing the tip of her nose with a sigh of relief.

"Imagined what?"

"I...I..." She touched his shoulder, kissing his cheek and leaving the room. "Good night, Karl..."

The man paled at the woman's kiss, looking around himself confused and then at her walking up the stairs heading towards the bedroom.

"...what the fuck was that?"