“...You know I’m fine with grilled fish,” he muttered.

“We’re having soup.”

She took the pot to the fire pit, trying to heat it a bit before she went back to clean the kitchen counter. Sabael’s eyes were still on that pot, wondering if it was safer to tell her it needed water or to let it burn...

“I’m not prying into your relationship with Ashen,” Tessandra suddenly declared, her back turned on him. “I’m not trying to be a control freak. I was just curious, that’s it.”

Sabael frowned, and turned his eyes to her.

“I never thought of you as a control freak,” he frowned.

“Oh, please Sab, you know I am.”

“Tessa, I’m serious. ...Who said that?”

She didn’t answer, which, for anybody who knew Tessandra, spoke volumes. Sabael walked up to her right when she was rinsing her hands, grabbing her wet fingers to have her look at him.

“Tessandra, I’m serious. Who called you that?”

Tessandra hesitated, avoiding his gaze. After a while, she mumbled.

“...Your sister.”

“Which one?” he insisted. “I’m guessing that it’s not Nana, so which one of the two others? Marcie or Plunie?”

“What difference does it make?” Tessandra sighed. “They both think it! That I’m just some unfeminine, useless, and loudmouthed version of Cessilia. I know your family wanted some cute, docile housewife for you, and they think I’m not the right match. Look at me, I can’t do a single house chore right! I’m only good with swords and my big mouth! What good is it to be strong in times of peace? I hate it, Sab.”

“Tessandra, look at me.”

She reluctantly raised her eyes again, and saw his smile. He chuckled. She was strong physically, but at times, she was the most vulnerable woman ever. He lightly put his hand against her cheek and grabbed her other hand, gently entangling his fingers with hers.

“First, my sisters don’t speak for the whole family. In fact, I’m much closer to Nana, who worships you, and my brothers all adore you too.”

“That’s because I get along with guys.”

“Is that so bad? I grew up used to two of my sisters being the local gossipers. Of course my brothers and I like frank and honest girls more. Yes, you’re loudmouthed, and I love that. I like that you’re going to tell me when something’s wrong, and you’re not afraid to speak up for yourself. My girlfriend is bold enough that she doesn’t need me by her side all the time, she can stand up for herself and wrestle with dragons in her free time.”

Tessandra couldn’t hold back a chuckle at that last line. He was talking about the previous week, when she had quite literally brawled with Dran. It was just a game between them and also revenge for the dragon stealing her fish, but she had fun, while the crowd who had gotten to witness this were completely stunned. However, Sabael’s sisters hadn’t failed to mention how unfitting it was for a girl. Just thinking about it erased that smile from her lips again.

“Tessa.”

Sabael had to insist for her to look up again. That was so typical of Tessandra. She wasn’t afraid to talk back, but sometimes, the smallest remark just got to her. He knew she had been eager to please his family and was doing her best. His sisters were just nosy and probably upset he wasn’t going out with one of their friends instead...

Luckily, he also knew Tessandra enough to know how to cheer her up. He stepped even closer to her, a bit playful, and lowered his hands to her hips. He then put a little kiss on her lips, softly, one that got her blushing. She was really focused on him this time. Her eyes had that little sparkle back, and she combed her hair, her habit when she was feeling a bit sexy. Sabael smiled even more.

“The one thing they are the most wrong about is you being unfeminine. My girlfriend is very feminine and sexy. Do you have any idea how many guys are jealous? I hear every day that if I am ever stupid enough to break up with you, they will throw a party and get lined up.”

“They can try,” Tessandra chuckled.

This time, he frowned. He could be jealous too, and Tessandra being so popular was perhaps his biggest insecurity. Not only did he not have as much experience as she did, but he often couldn’t understand how a girl like her could be attracted to a man as common as him. Aside from his odd-colored eyes, Sabael found himself quite like any guy out there. He had always thought the girls who liked him just found his heterochromia exotic, but he had never imagined he would be able to attract a woman as popular as Tessandra. The two of them were actually quite unaware of their own attractiveness, and too bothered about their partner’s popularity...

He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her, and kissed her for real this time, a bit longer. There was a slight taste of cooking herbs on her lips, which he had seen her try. She wrapped her arms around his neck, grabbing onto him, pushing their kiss even further, passionately. He liked how she was honest about her wants and needs. He caressed her shoulders. He had noticed she had begun to wear more feminine outfits too, and less fighting gear. This one was revealing her shoulders and accentuating her sexy curves. Tessandra was anything but skinny, and he loved both the firmness of her muscles and the softness of her skin. There was always this sort of secretly feminine side of her that his sisters didn’t know about, that Tessandra only ever displayed in private with him. She was tough on the outside, and fragile on the inside. She liked to wear feminine dresses, but always wore more uniform-like outfits outside. Nowadays, though, there was definitely some change happening: she had been trying new things. She was putting more effort into her hairstyle, even showing up with ornaments, and she had begun to wear jewelry more often too. He had noticed and complimented her on it every time he felt like it. He found it quite adorable how she was trying, but also trying not to show it. Then again, that was a side of her Tessandra only showed to him...

While their kiss got deeper, sexier, and wilder, he couldn’t help but grimace after a second. One second later, she smelled it too.

“Oh, by the dragon’s balls!”

She ran to the burnt pot, while Sabael frowned behind her and opened the windows. Their small house was now reeking of burnt fish and filled with dark smoke. He couldn’t help but chuckle upon finding a desperate Tessandra glaring at the burnt pot.

“...I don’t understand,” she muttered, visibly embarrassed. “I put in all the ingredients on the list...”

“Did the ingredients list include water?”

Her jaw dropped.

“...It needed water?”

“Yes. And probably less fishbones too.”

Tessandra sighed, and dropped the pot in the washing basin.

“There goes our dinner,” she grumbled. “I should have known.”

Sabael chuckled and walked up to her, hugging her from behind.

“It’s alright, you’ll get better eventually. Also, you know you can ask them to skin the fish at the Fish Market. They’ll happily do it for you, or even teach you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, next time I feel like slaughtering a stupid fish...”

“I already told you I can do the cooking,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “I’m not the best cook in the world, but I’m pretty confident I can at least feed us both...”

“No, I want to get better at it,” Tessandra protested.

He sighed. As much as he wanted to encourage her, he was a bit worried it would eventually hurt her. She was quite stubborn at times...

“You really don’t have to, I don’t care what we eat...”

“I care!” Tessandra insisted. “What will I do when we decide to have kids, Sab? I can’t just feed them fish beignets every day, or rely on you for every meal! I hate that I can’t do a single house chore right! My mother always asked my sister instead of me because I sucked at every single thing! ...I don’t want to be just a useless woman who can only swing a sword around and open her big mouth. I want to be a good mother, like Cessi. I’m tired of your sisters’ remarks and I hate feeling like I’m making no progress at all. I could spend an hour in the training pit and get a hundred times better at sword fighting than I would in a full month of trying to cook! And that’s exactly what I’ve done! Your sisters have tried to show me a dozen times and I can’t get one thing right!”

She angrily freed herself from his grip, walked up to the wall, and punched it. Sabael ran after her without a hesitation and grabbed her wrists, putting himself between her and the wall before she could do it again.

“Move,” she said. “I need to vent on something and I don’t want it to be you.”

“You don’t need to vent, Tessa, you need to get to the bottom of the issue. ...This isn’t about my sisters, is it? It’s about your mother.”

She frowned even more. So that’s what it was. She was going in circles and feeling ashamed, jealous of her cousin, her sister, and his sisters because of a few remarks. There was nothing Tessandra hated more than being powerless. Sabael gently caressed her wrists with his thumbs, trying to calm her down.

“...You should ask her.”