Canon

The living room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the TV playing the end credits of a rom-com neither of them had really been watching. It had been a peaceful evening, one filled with the lingering warmth of the afternoon’s baking session. The smell of fresh cookies still hung in the air, a reminder of the afternoon’s quiet joy. But now, as the day began to wind down, the atmosphere had shifted subtly, though only one of them seemed to notice.

Ariana sat curled up in the corner of the couch, knees hugged to her chest, lips slightly pursed. She wasn’t mad, not really, but she was sulking. And for good reason.

Cynthia, sitting beside her, was completely unaware, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone, occasionally letting out a soft chuckle at whatever had caught her attention.

Ariana stole a glance at her, then sighed dramatically—not loud enough to be obvious, but enough that Cynthia should have noticed. She didn’t.

Ariana huffed again, shifting slightly in her seat, waiting for Cynthia to finally catch on. Nothing.

The moment had slipped away, unnoticed.

It had started so simply—a quiet evening, just the two of them, enjoying each other’s presence. At some point, Ariana had subtly leaned in, tilting her face just so, a playful little smile tugging at her lips. It was an invitation, clear as day. Or so she thought.

But Cynthia had missed it entirely. Too wrapped up in whatever was on her phone, she hadn’t even glanced Ariana’s way. Hadn’t noticed the moment Ariana had carefully set up for them.

And now here she was, pouting.

A few more seconds passed before Cynthia finally seemed to sense something was off. She glanced up, eyes flickering toward Ariana. Her brows knitted together slightly.

“Hey…” Cynthia murmured, lowering her phone. “What’s going on?”

Ariana turned her head slightly, pretending to be very interested in the TV. “Nothing.”

Cynthia’s frown deepened. That was a lie.

She set her phone down, shifting to face Ariana more fully. “No, something’s wrong,” she pressed gently. “You’re upset.”

Ariana’s arms tightened around her legs, her lips jutting out just the slightest bit more.

Cynthia watched her for a moment before realization dawned. She tilted her head. “Did I do something?”

Ariana huffed, turning toward her at last. “You didn’t even notice.”

Cynthia blinked. “Notice what?”

Ariana narrowed her eyes at her. “You ignored me.”

Cynthia’s brows shot up, looking genuinely confused. “What? When?”

Ariana rolled her eyes and slumped against the couch. “Before! I was trying to get you to kiss me, and you didn’t even notice!”

Cynthia froze, replaying the last few minutes in her head. Then it hit her.

“Oh,” she breathed.

Ariana crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

“Oh, Ari…” Cynthia’s expression softened. She shifted closer, reaching out as if to touch her, but Ariana turned away just slightly, still holding onto her sulk.

Cynthia bit back a smile. “I didn’t mean to miss it. I swear I wasn’t ignoring you.”

Ariana let out a soft, dramatic scoff. “Well, you did.”

Cynthia let out a small laugh, shaking her head as she inched even closer. “I feel terrible. I totally messed up, babe. Let me make it up to you.”

Ariana only hummed in response, still facing away, though Cynthia could see the way her lips twitched—she was trying to hold onto her pout, but it was slipping.

“Come on,” Cynthia coaxed, nudging Ariana’s knee lightly with her own. “I’ll give you a thousand kisses to make up for it.”

Ariana finally turned her head slightly, eyes narrowing. “A thousand?”

“Mhmm.” Cynthia leaned in, bumping their foreheads together. “A thousand kisses. Right now. Starting here.”

She pressed a soft kiss to Ariana’s cheek.

Ariana exhaled, her lashes fluttering, but she wasn’t ready to cave just yet. “Hmm. Not good enough.”

Cynthia grinned, resting her hand on Ariana’s knee. “Okay, okay. A million kisses, then.”

Ariana finally let herself smile—just a little. “A million, huh?”

“Yes,” Cynthia said, voice playful but sincere. “A million. And I’ll never miss another opportunity again.”

She tilted her head, brushing her lips over the corner of Ariana’s mouth this time, slow and sweet.

Ariana let out the smallest sigh, her body relaxing. “You better keep your word.”

Cynthia pulled back just a fraction, smiling against her skin. “I promise.”

Ariana gave her a long, searching look, as if deciding whether to let it go. Then, with a dramatic huff, she leaned forward and finally kissed Cynthia properly—soft and slow at first, but deepening as she tangled her fingers into Cynthia’s hoodie, pulling her in.

Cynthia melted into it, one hand cupping Ariana’s jaw, the other resting on her hip. The warmth between them was undeniable, and Ariana made a quiet, satisfied sound against her lips.

After a long moment, Ariana pulled back, slightly breathless, eyes flickering open. “Okay,” she murmured. “You’re partially forgiven.”

Cynthia chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Ariana’s ear. “Just partially?”

Ariana smirked. “Mmm, you’ve got about nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight kisses left to go.”

Cynthia grinned. “Then I guess I’d better get started.”

And just like that, she leaned in again, sealing her promise with another kiss.