Work Text:
“I wish I could hate you.”
Milla quirks a brow at her fractured counterpart from across the board, flipping the red checker she just captured into the air, then catching it again with a flourish. “You say that like you don’t,” she chuckles.
“Yeah, well…” Mimi suddenly smirks, then stretches her arm out to grab one of her pieces and jump three black checkers in succession. Milla feels her own jaw drop a little as Mimi sniggers, then flaunts the tokens between her fingers. “You did just fall into my trap.”
Milla gapes for another few moments before her shock ebbs away in favor of amusement, because Mimi looks incredibly pleased with herself and that good mood is quickly becoming contagious. Milla returns the other’s victorious grin with a soft smile, then leans back where she’s sitting in the grass to rest her weight on her hands.
“Indeed I did,” Milla admits, and stares intently at the board as she tries to contemplate her next move. Frankly, she knows she’s in a tight spot; Mimi’s already taken five of her pieces while Milla’s only taken two of hers. “You’re quite skilled at this game.”
Her counterpart shrugs, still grinning. “I guess. I used to play a lot with Mu—” Mimi pauses suddenly, and Milla could swear she sees the other physically flinch, just barely, as the playful light in Mimi’s eyes soon dwindles down to something more solemn. “…I mean, with my sister.”
Mimi bows her head to gaze down at her hands, where she timidly fiddles the black pieces between her fingers. “At least, I did until she started saying that these human games were stupid and pathetic,” she adds, her voice dropping into a low whisper.
Milla frowns at that. She doesn’t know everything about how Mimi’s Muzét used to treat her, but from what she’s been able to gather, it was an unpleasant relationship. Nothing like what Milla had with The Four’s care.
“It may not be my place to speak on your experiences,” Milla says, because she might be speaking out of turn but she gets the feeling that Mimi has needed to hear this for a long time, “but it sounds to me as if she wasn’t a particularly good sister to you.”
“She…” Mimi bites her lip, and the hand gripping the checkers visibly tightens its grip around them, and Milla watches with careful concern as the other’s body begins to tremble. But then, Mimi’s shoulders slump down, and all the tension in her form seems to just drain out. “No, she…she really wasn’t.” Mimi looks up at her finally, and though it’s sort of weak and still sad, her lips are still curled into a slight smile. “…Not like you guys.”
Milla starts slightly, surprised but also pleased that she actually just heard that come out of Mimi’s mouth. She feels her own lips pull up into a grin, and as if in response, Mimi quickly forces her expression into a pout, then turns her head away. Even so, Milla can still see the other’s cheeks tinting pink, and that makes her own heart swell with pride. It’s good to see that Mimi has become more honest, and is now able to keep her past from getting her too down.
Still, Milla thinks she could use a little more cheering up.
“You know, I could make you hate me,” Milla remarks, purposely vague, and watches as Mimi’s brow furrows in confusion.
“What’re you talking abou—gah!”
Milla launches across the board without letting the other finish, scattering all the checkers in the process, and promptly starts ruffling Mimi’s hair. Mimi brings her own hands up and screeches in protest, a sputtered cry of “H-hey, what’re you—Stoppit!” But Milla doesn’t listen, and continues to ruthlessly muss up the style (she’ll have to apologize to Sylph later) until finally, her counterpart manages to duck out from beneath Milla’s arms and then scramble away.
Milla smirks as Mimi makes one futile attempt to tame the tangled mess her hair has become, and then just resorts to glaring at Milla through disheveled bangs.
“Ohhh, you are so dead!” Mimi shrieks, but there’s humor in her voice and mischief in her eyes as she lunges at Milla, and grabs her by the crowning glory, and repeatedly yanks on it without pause. Milla yelps and reaches out to grab at the other’s hair in retaliation, pulling Mimi down with her, until they’re both on the ground and rolling in the grass, a chaotic pile of entangled limbs and vicious tugs.
And even through their pained gasps, neither of them can stop laughing.