Bargain Wedding

Roses And Cherry Blossoms

"Do you want me to drop you at college today, Axel?" The husband asked, folding the sleeves of his shirt. The veiny hands were displayed for the wife to marvel at. She had a thing for veiny hands, and as Jona noticed her gawking at them, he smirked and walked closer. "Axel?"

"Mn," the lady shook her head, suddenly blinking her eyes to jostle out of her daze. She hesitated to share her life beyond the walls of university with the man, but the latter never constrained her albeit he knew about Minhaj for quite some time now. He didn't do anything about it. He could not. He could have had Minhaj disappear from the earth's surface like he never existed, but hurting Minhaj would only rile up Axel, he knew, and so he decided not to act on his anger or jealousy. Besides, he trusted and loved Axel to an extent where every fiber of his existence was enamored. "I will take the bike."

"Suit yourself," trying to pick a stray lash that had fallen on Axel's cheek, Jona needed an excuse to bring his hands closer to the woman. He tried to pluck it when the younger flinched and accidentally tangled her dangling earring into Jona's jacket's chain around his neck.

Axel forgot to breathe as she sniffed Jona's fragrance of cherry blossoms and roses. She tried to remove it swiftly, which made it worse as she hissed with sudden pain followed by gasping, remembering to breathe again. "Don't pull, Axel," the man asked in a way too endearing for the younger. They stood close to each other, fanning each other's breath over their skin. The scent started growing on the brunette. In one month they spent together, Axel was no longer oblivious to Jona's amiable disposition. She now appreciated the man more, but nothing much changed between them as a married couple. Jona got a bigger couch, of course, but he still slept on the couch.

"You haven't visited my office yet and we have an upcoming meeting with the board of directors. I wanted to sit with you before that and understand a few things."

"We can sit together tonight," Axel mumbled, listening to her frantic heartbeat and wishing that she was the only one to hear it. She wondered why she felt so nervous around Jona sometimes and extremely comfortable at other times.

"I will come back home early," Jona smiled, finally tugging the dangling thing off his chain. "Did I hurt you?" The man asked.

"No," Axel retreated her steps quickly, looking around frantically. "My jacket. Did you see my jacket?"

Jona only shook his head mutely.

"I think I just left at the breakfast table," Axel mumbled slowly and coursed towards the door and disappeared, leaving Jona smirking to himself. He was aware of his effect on her, and he was modest about it oftentimes, but sometimes, it was just so much more fun to see Axel's cheeks turning into cherries.

Meanwhile, Jussy got hold of Axel's jacket hung on the backrest of the chair at the same time as the latter. "This looks expensive. We are the same size. Do you mind if I borrow this for today?" The former asked, eyeing the jacket and holding a sleeve in her hand, feeling the texture of it.

Axel gently pulled the jacket back and fabricated a smile so diligent that it could have given an inferiority complex to the plastic lady herself when she uttered, "I don't like sharing my things. Sorry."

☘

As Jona took the pizza box into the room, Axel's eyes gleamed as she stared at it, wanting to take a peek inside as soon as possible. The man sat on the bed, sprawling the box between them. "How was your day today?" The man asked, wanting to stay dazed in Axel's eyes.

"Good, we had a good rehearsal today," Axel answered, keeping her keen eyes on the pizza. "How about you?" She asked, picking the slice and stuffing it in her mouth.

"Usual," Jona smiled.

"You wanted to talk to me in the morning. What is it?" Axel asked, with her bunched-up cheeks that turned more adorable every time she ate.

"Hmm... What would you like to do after college?" Jona asked, now face earnest as he curiously bent his ears. The clueless reaction on his wife's face had Jona chuckling. "I know it's sudden, but I've been thinking. Since the board of directors' meeting is nearing, I was wondering if you would like to join the family business or pursue something else?"

"I have no intention of joining the business," Axel answered bluntly. "I don't know anything about finances either. I am an art student and I want to become a dancer or an actress."

"You are so cool, Axel. You have got to teach me some moves someday," Jona answered, also biting a piece while smiling.

Axel looked up at him, perplexed. Then her lips stretched into a big smile. "I am not a good teacher, but I know someone who can teach you if you want. Let me get their contact number for you."

Jona chuckled as Axel turned to the nightstand, but couldn't find her phone. "I keep leaving my stuff at the dining table," she mumbled and got off the bed, pulling a tissue paper from the tissue box in the process of wiping her hand.

"I don't want to be a dancer, Axel. It's fine if you give their contact number to me after eating," the man grinned.

Axel reciprocated, but she left the room anyway. She walked downstairs while humming a sweet melody and realized that there was darkness in the kitchen and her stepmother-in-law was talking to Lohan. She'd thought on many occasions that the trio was up to something. Certainly, Jussy hated her. Lohan was downright annoying with his stupid giggles, which seemed to her spooky at best. As Coco correctly gave the alias, the old lady was indeed plastic. Everything about her was fake. She would only feign her goodness or care towards her in the presence of Jona. If Jona wasn't home, she wouldn't even bother to wait for her at dinner.

The brunette picked up her phone and was about to return without interfering when she flinched at the yelling. "Pay him in cash, by all means! Do everything but this shouldn't come to Jona's ears." The plastic lady's voice muffled through her gritted teeth.

Axel's feet now stopped and moved towards the kitchen when she heard Jona's name. Her heart threatened to jump out as she walked closer to the wall to hide behind it. "If he doesn't shut up after this time, then get rid of him. If Jona throws us out, then you will go down with us. Remember that."

Axel's heart was throbbing hard. She was afraid of getting caught, but she kept listening. What were they planning against Jona? She needed to know. Even if she hadn't realized it yet, she'd started to care about the man.

"He already had cameras set in the kitchen. Do you want him to go after our bedrooms next?"

Brushing against something, Axel blenched only to find Jussy standing behind her, who caught her eavesdropping. Axel started to walk around her, but Jussy spat in anger as she turned her around by tugging at her collar. "What the f**k is wrong with you, Aoki? The older woman reeled.

"Everything," Axel scoffed as she swatted Jussy's hand off her, glaring at her daringly. Nobody could raise their voice at Axel Aoki and sure as hell not grab her by her collar.

"Is this what your parents taught you, hm? That shows, you know. Such must be the entire family who sold their daughter off!"

Jussy didn't see anything but the floor as a body-wrenching pain exuded from her cheek which instantly felt hot, and it radiated all over her body after Axel landed a tight slap on her mouth. Sudden bustling made the lady scurry out of the kitchen in the hall after disconnecting the call. Her mouth hung agape at the scene. Her eyes filled with raw wrath. If she hadn't been afraid of Jona, she would have tried and killed Axel. How dare she touch her daughter!

Jussy got up to counterattack, but Axel used her force against her as she flipped her and tied both of her hands behind her back with one hand, and with the free hand, she choked her. Ms. Suzuki started screaming frantically, which reached Jona's ears as he dashed out, but his eyes widened when he spotted Axel and Jussy. He ran towards them and untangled his wife from his step-sister, who wheezed to let in air and then coughed.

Ms. Suzuki ran to Jussy and patted her back. Axel was shuddering with anger as Jona held her hands tight with no clue what made his girl like that.

"Apologize! Right now!" The red-haired woman demanded.

"I won't. If anything, she should be the one to apologize," Axel was crystal clear as she pointed at Jussy. Her eyes threatened to tear up in anger and her face hot-to-trot.

"I will not tolerate this, young woman. You have to apologize or else I am leaving the house right now."

"Do whatever the f**k you want!" Axel snarled and flinched when Jona suddenly yelled.

"AXEL!"

The brunette least expected Jona to react this way or shout at her at all, especially when it wasn't her fault, and Jona didn't even know why she reacted that way or heard her side of the story. He only heard her cursing and immediately made a judgment. Here he was, yelling at her because of his stepmother.

"Please apologize to both of them," his voice now toned down as he gently yet sternly asked Axel.

"But you don't even know what they said about m-"

"I said... Apologize. We respect the elders in this house." Jona turned stern.

Suddenly, what Jussy said about her parents seemed to cause less pain to Axel than Jona's words. Her bottom lip quivered with emotions she felt, her eyes finally betrayed her as they shed welled-up tears, and she hung her head low, not wanting anyone to see them.

Jona didn't want anything more than to hug Axel and kiss her tears away. His heart was aching, looking at the hurt in her eyes, but he had to be strict in front of his stepmother for his reasons.

"I- I am sorry," Axel hurriedly articulated, gazing at the floor, and stormed towards her room.

She knew Jona would follow her, and she didn't want to talk to him. Locking herself in the closet, she sobbed hard and shut her mouth, not wanting Jona to see her or hear her weeping. A punch would have hurt less, but getting scolded by Jona was the worst pain for her. She was warming up to him, but now she felt like she was back at square one.

Jona made his way back into the room after calming the situation downstairs and apologizing to the family himself. The small muffling voice was coming out of the closet and his heart was breaking listening to it. He went to knock at the door but brought his hand back down before he could knock. If he learned anything in these weeks, it was not to bug Axel when she was angry.

Ten minutes passed and Jona started getting worried. He was about to stand up again to knock at the door, but Axel opened it herself, and came out looking like a red Pokémon.

"Axel..." Jona uttered in a faint voice, but Axel got inside the bathroom and banged the door shut behind her.

Her anger will be the death of me.

Jona had answers to everything and a solution to every problem, but he was so helpless when it came to Axel. The girl ruled his heart. Seeing her cry or get hurt killed Jona, especially if he was the one who hurt her.

When Axel came out of the bathroom, she whizzed past Jona before he could so much as form the words. Jona sighed heavily. "You brought this upon yourself, Jona. Now deal with it." He sneered at himself.

☘

Hours went by, but Axel didn't return. He knew better than not to go look after her, so he was patiently waiting in the living room for her to come back. Her motorbike was still resting in the house, so she couldn't have gone too far, Jona knew. "Master Jona, please eat something else. You hardly ate any pizza. Madam Axel said she wasn't hungry." Obasaan broke Jona's despaired trance.

"Is she back?" Jona raised his head swiftly, which was buried in his palms.

"She has been in her room for the last two hours," Obasaan replied, bewildered.

"Send food to my room please," Jona walked past Obasaan before she could respond.

He knocked lightly before entering and saw plopped down on the couch was Axel with her headphones on. Axel's gaze averted from nothing to him just as he entered the room and then back at nothing. Her heart started jumping wildly inside her chest. Jona's legs slowly trudged him towards the couch and he stood in front of the younger.

Axel removed her headphones, providing Jona with a brief window of opportunity to speak. "I am sorry, Axel... I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Apology not accepted," Axel replied in a cold voice.

Jona sighed and crouched down, putting his hands on the couch on either side of her, encasing her. "I really am sorry. It will never happen again. I promise," he pleaded with the softest voice, looking at Axel's hurtful, innocent face and seeing fresh tears hit her eyes again. Axel was trying hard not to break down again. She blinked away her tears and darted her gaze towards the window on the right without saying anything while her right foot anxiously tapped on the floor. "Will you accept my apology one last time?" Jona wanted to hold her hands and kiss them softly, but he couldn't. How much he had to endure and plop his feelings down was unknown to everyone.

"Jona," Axel looked down at him with her eyes hollow. "You don't have to apologize. I am not anyone relevant to you anyway."

"No, Axel-"

"If I were, you would have heard my side of the story before making me apologize to them for doing nothing wrong," she curtly interrupted, rendering Jona speechless. "I am sleepy." Axel was done as she pushed Jona's hand gently to free herself and walked to the bed only to bring her full body-length hug pillow and covers back to the couch.

"What are you doing?" Jona asked, who was still crouching, but stood up when Axel laid her covers and pillows on the couch.

"What?" Axel quirked her brows sarcastically. "After all, it's your house. You shouldn't be the one sleeping on the couch in your own room."

Jona knew he hurt Axel, he knew he hurt her badly. Whatever happened between Axel and Jussy, he knew he should have asked. He walked back to bed and thought about how he could reconcile. He kept thinking, sitting on the edge of the bed and didn't know when he finally dozed off without eating.

It was only Jona who slept that night, probably in the comfort of his soft and plush bed which he had to himself after weeks. Axel couldn't sleep a wink. The couch was uncomfortable for her. She was hurt, uneasy, and hungry. She kept staring at the white ceiling until her eyes went dry. She took in everything; the grand ceiling, a mounted chandelier in the center, ladybug antique pair hung on either side of the door, thick white curtains whisking gracefully ahead of the casement windows, the colors of the rug, and the materials of the couch. Everything.

Hunger contributed to nothing as she snuggled herself, pressing her knees against her stomach to try and stop the excruciating pain. Restlessly, she got up, walked to nowhere, tossed and turned, and buried her face in the pillow. She groaned lowly and then repeated the process. Time slowed itself for him. At a certain point, she even walked toward the bed but couldn't get herself to climb up and sleep with Jona.

Thankfully, when the morning light cast through the curtains onto her face, causing a bright glimmer to emerge, she jolted upright, causing the blood to rush to her head as she was already dizzy, and her stomach was killing her. She could already smell the delectable aroma of food, so she trudged down the staircase to eat. Never in her life had she skipped a meal and her mother made sure of it. Reminiscing on the things before marriage brought some fresh tears to her very dry eyes.

No one could take care of her like her mother did, and she missed her right now. She was her chirpy and pampered child for twenty years, and suddenly she was expected to act all grown up. The problem was that she didn't know how to. She was doing her best as per her understanding and ability. She was respectful to the elders even though she did not like them. She wasn't encouraging her feelings for Minhaj because she knew it was wrong as she was married, but apparently, it was not enough.

The speed with which Jona and she bridged a little gap between them and came closer, holding onto the same string, was already too slow, but now it seemed to her that they were back to where they started.

Obasaan welcomed her to the table and served her lovingly. "Thank you," she mumbled as she took a huge bite of toast and chewed on it with her eyes closed as if she were eating after days.

"Axel, can I say something to you?" The old lady asked.

Axel opened her eyes to look at her and nodded, smiling a little. "Mater Jona was worried about you. He waited for hours yesterday and didn't eat," Obasaan looked at Axel's comfort, who kept her gaze down. "I have an experience of a lifetime and I can tell that he really cares about you. You will have issues in married life but always remember this. It is the you two against the problems and not you against him during the problems. Same thing I told him. If you two are together, you will emerge victorious, no matter what the situation is."

Axel silently took in the words. Obasaan was right. She thought about how Jona kept trying with patience. If life changed for her, then it changed for Jona, too. She had never thought about it before. Jona never complained about anything, and he was doing his best at everything to put her at ease.

A sudden urge to talk to Jona emerged but she didn't know how to. She wasn't holding onto her part of the ego. No. But she was just clueless. Merely speaking to Jona somehow made her heart haywire. It was hard for her, and talking to him after the fight seemed harder.