YOU CAN BREATHE NOW!

She sat on the edge of the bed with a book in one hand. While one hand firmly held the pages, the other pressed down against her lower stomach, trying to soothe the silent, unavoidable ache inside her.

The bathroom door clicked open. Her husband stepped out, a towel draped over one hand as he dried his damp hair. Dressed in a simple black t-shirt and grey loose pants, he looked effortlessly domestic and annoyingly attractive. She lingered her gaze on him, shamelessly tracing him from head to toe.As if sensing her eyes, he raised an eyebrow. A slow smirk played on his lips as he moved toward the bed. He didn't break eye contact, deliberately holding her gaze with an intensity that made her chest tighten. Unable to match his bold stare, she abruptly snapped her eyes back down to her book.

He chuckled softly at her reaction, clearly finding her flustered state adorable.She tried her best to focus on the printed words, but his voice broke the silence. "Wife, I’m all yours. Stare as much as you want."

A visible crimson blush crept up her cheeks. Caught completely off guard by his teasing tone, she stammered, "I... I wasn't staring at you. I was looking at the window. Yeah, the window. The weather is so nice today."The excuse was silly , entirely out of nervousness.

They had only been married for three months. It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable around him, but the sheer intensity building between them never failed to make her heart race.He chuckled again, giving her an amused, unimpressed look. "Liar. A bad one at that," he teased, switching on the hairdryer.

"I’m not lying, why would I stare at you, don't get ahead of yourself," she countered, trying desperately to sound cool and composed despite her betraying heartbeat."The blush on your face says otherwise," he replied, setting the dryer down on the nightstand.

Her eyes widened, and she facepalmed, wishing she could erase the heat radiating from her skin. But before she could retort, a sharp wave of pain suddenly kicked in. She instinctively tossed the book aside and pressed both hands tightly against her lower abdomen. Her eyes squeezed shut, her toes curling as she braced against the cramp.

His teasing demeanor vanished instantly. Sitting beside her on the mattress, his voice full of concern. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m okay," she managed to speak through tight lips. "It’s just... cramps."

"You clearly are not," he murmured, his hand hovering over her anxiously. "Should I get medicine? Do you need a massage, or...."

"Hey, hey, I'm fine," she cut him off, offering a reassuring smile. "Just hand me the hot water bag from the side table. I’ll be okay."

He moved immediately, plugging the electric bag into the wall to heat up. He couldn't help but feel extremely concerned. last month, her pain had been so unbearable that she had cried, that led him run to the late-night pharmacy for painkillers. A doctor's visit the next day confirmed it was severe menstrual cramping, and the new medication and dietary changes he strictly monitored had at least brought her some relief this time.

Once the bag was warm, he sat back down beside her. His fingers gently found the hem of her top. As he ws about to lift it, she quickly caught his wrist, her eyes wide with a shy, tentative smile. "I... I can do it."

"Let me take care of my wife," he murmured softly, locking eyes with her until she gave a small, defeated nod.

He lifted the fabric just enough to place the warm bag against her skin, applying a gentle pressure. Her heart did a silly, fluttering flip. He was so close she hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he spoke."You can breathe now," he whispered with a smug, playful grin, clearly enjoying how easily he flustered her. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before standing up.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he stepped toward the door.He turned back, a light smile on his face. "To the kitchen."

"For what?"

"Obviously to cook," he answered, amused by her silly question.She let out a soft "oh," deeply touched by his gentleness.

It wasn’t a complete surprise. They both worked and split the household chores evenly so neither felt pressured, but his eagerness to step up when she was hurting warmed her. Lost in her thoughts, she spent the next hour replaying the scene in her head, smiling like a teenage girl completely in love, the book completely forgotten.

Nearly an hour later, he returned with a kitchen apron hanging over his shoulder. "Are you done?" she asked. Instead of answering, he moved without warning. In one swift, fluid motion, he scooped her up, one arm sliding securely under her knees and the other wrapping around her waist.

A loud gasp escaped her lips. Her hands instinctively flew up to hold onto his neck, her eyes wide with shock. "Yaa! What are you doing? Put me down!" she practically screamed.

He simply laughed at her sudden burst of rage. Carrying her out of the bedroom, he replied in a mocking yet serious tone, "Carrying my wife to the dining room. Any problem with that?"

"You don't need to," she mumbled, her voice dropping to a shy whisper against his shoulder. "I can walk. Or you could have just brought the food up to the bedroom."

He stopped at the top of the stairs, looking playfully shocked. "Oh. I didn't think of that."

"Silly. I could have just walked," she muttered, though her grip on his neck tightened protectively as he began descending the steps. "Hey, seriously, put me down. What if I fall?"

"I won't let you fall," he said firmly. Reaching the bottom floor, he nudged her gently. "See? Told you."

"Okay, now put me down. I’ll walk to the table."

"You talk too much, wifey. Let your husband do the work," he countered.

Going straight into the kitchen, he hoisted her up and sat her directly on the countertop. Her arms were still holding onto his neck. He leaned in slightly, a flirting look in his eye. "You can remove your arms now... though I don't mind you staying close."

She immediately removed her arms away from his neck. A small, cute frown formed between her eyebrows which didn't go unnoticed by him. Rolling her eyes, she hopped off the counter and walked quickly into the dining area.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" he called out teasingly, carrying over the dishes.He sat in the chair right next to her, serving her a warm portion of rice and curry before filling his own plate.

Noticing her sudden silence, his playful expression softened. "What's wrong?"

She glared at him, a sudden flash of irritation taking over. "Aren't you the one who told me not to talk so much?"

The moment the words left her mouth, a regret washed over her. She was shocked at herself for complaining about something so incredibly silly. Hormones, she realized miserably. The mood swings are taking over.

Instead of getting defensive, he smiled warmly. In one swift motion, he pulled her chair closer to his. "I only said that because I don’t want you walking when I’m right here to carry you everywhere," he explained, his smile never fading.

She kept her eyes glued to her plate, refusing to look at him out of embarrassment.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I won't say it again," he apologized gently, recognizing the emotional mood swings of her cycle. "Talk to me now. Don't stay quiet. Tell me, how's the food?"

Amused and humbled by how effortlessly he apologized for a mistake he didn't even make, her defensive walls crumbled. Her gaze softened, and a genuine smile broke across her face."It’s really good," she whispered.

"I'm glad," he murmured, his eyes locked onto her face with that familiar attention.

Suddenly, his gaze went  down to her mouth. Before she could ask what was wrong he leaned in, closer. His shoulder brushed against hers as his hand reached out, his thumb gently pressed against the corner of her lower lip where a small smudge of curry had stuck.He didn't rush. His movement was painfully slow, his thumb brushing against her skin with a feather-light pressure that sent a shiver straight down her spine. Her body froze. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and without realizing it, her lungs locked up.

He finished wiping the smudge away but didn't immediately pull back. Instead, his thumb lingered for a second longer then needed on her bottom lip, his eyes crinkling at the corners with an affectionate, knowing look. A small, breathless silence stretched between them.

He leaned back just an inch, a familiar, teasing smirk playing on his lips. "You’re holding your breath again, wifey." He lighly pinched the top of her nose playfully. "You can breathe now."A fresh wave of crimson rushed to her cheeks as she finally let out a sharp exhale, looking away to hide her flustered smile.

The rest of dinner passed in a warm, comfortable quiet chatter and gentle teasing. By the time they finished, the physical exhaustion of her period hit her all at once.

She stood up to help clear the table, but he immediately stopped her, taking the plates from her hands. "Ah-ah. Upstairs," he ordered gently, ponting toward the door. "Go rest. I'll take care of the dishes."

Too tired to argue or roll her eyes this time, she offered a small, grateful smile and walked up the stairs. Proudly on her own two feet thi time.

The bedroom was cool and quiet. She laid down on the mattress to her sid,  pulling her knees slightly toward her chest to soothe the low, dull ache left in her stomach.

A few minutes later, the bedroom door clicked open indicating the presents of her husband. The door clicked shut again.She heard his soft footsteps near the bed. The mattress dipped behind her and the blankets lifted as he slipped into the bed.

Before she could turn around to face him, a strong, heavy arm slid around her waist, pulling her backward until her back was pressed against his broad, warm chest."Still crampy?" his voice murmured softly against the shell of her ear, his breath hot and comforting in the dark room.

"A little," she whispered, leaning into his warmth. He felt like a human furnace, and the heat of his body instantly began to melt the tension in her lower back.

He didn't say anything else. He simply adjusted his himself , his large, warm palm pressed against her lower stomach. He began to rub slow, comforting circles through her clothes, massaging the spot lightly.

"Better?" he asked, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head.

"Much better," she breathed, her eyes already shut. Surrounded by his scent, his warmth, and the slow yet pressured movement of his hand, the pain finally began to erase just a bit .

As her breathing slowed and she drifted into deep slumber, he pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her forehead, a silent promise that he would be right there holding her until the morning.

Safe in his arms, she let out a long sigh and shifted in his arms more comfortably and let herself fall fast asleep.

And this is how he started to become her comfort zone, his arms her favorite place to escape the worldly exhaustion.

                                    ~The End ~

Author’s  Note:

If you made it to the end, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading! Writing this story was a deeply comforting experience for me, it took me a lot of courage and work to put my inner thoughts into words and I really enjoyed writing this and I hope reading it brought a little bit of warmth and a smile to your face today. As my very first published , your thoughts mean a lot to me. If you enjoyed this glimpse into their married life, please consider leaving a comment letting me know which part made your heart flutter the most! Until the next story, take care and remember to breathe.😉

~Tulip