“Stay still. I’ve got some different cream.” He disappeared down the hall and came back with a small jar. He unscrewed it, dipped two fingers inside, and the scent of lavender and something medicinal filled the air.
“This will soothe the sting.” He pushed the hoodie off my shoulders and helped me lie on my side with my legs draped over his thighs. Every touch was soothing. His fingers worked the lotion into my skin, slow and gentle, especially where I’d reddened. He took his time like he actually cared about me.
I closed my eyes. It was intimacy without pressure. The kind that made youfeelwanted without having to prove anything.
“Are you still scared?” I asked quietly, surprising even myself.
He didn’t answer right away. His hand stilled over my ribs. “Yes,” he said. “But not ofyou.Not of this.”
“Then what?”
“That I’ll mess it up. That I’ll need too much and ask for too much. That someone will give me all of themselves… and regret it after.”
I turned my head, looking up at him. “I don’t regret anything,” I said. “Not with you.”
“I’m still learning how to take care of people,” he said, quieter now. “And how to let them take care of me.”
“You’re doing fine.” I sat up slowly, my body sore and liquid all at once, and pressed a kiss to his jaw. His hand slid to the back of my neck and held me there for a beat, forehead resting against mine.
“Color check?” he asked.
“Still green,” I said. “Just… happier now.”
He smiled, and it was real. “Good. Will you stay with me tonight?”
“Yes.” I answered without another thought.
He didn’t need to ask twice. I wasn’t sure I could be anywhere else right now, not after everything I’d let go of. He lifted me off the couch like I weighed nothing and carried me to his bed, set me down gently, and tucked the covers around me like I was made of glass.
When he slid in beside me, I rolled into him. His arms came around me like they’d always known how. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel raw or broken or too much. I just felt like my true self.
* * *
The morning light was soft, barely a glow through the blackout curtains, but I was already awake.
Nick’s bed was surprisingly comfortable. Or maybe it was just him. His body was warm behind me, arm slung over my waist, breath slow against my neck. I could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, and for once, my mind wasn’t racing. It was quiet and calm. Everything felt fucking perfect.
Everything he did to me last night just showed how much he did care. Yes, the scene was intense, but the way he handled me after? The way he took care of me. How he was so gentle with me. He wasn’t just in a scene with another sub. He was there withme. Mentally and physically. That wasn’t about him running away from drinking. It was about being there with me. He held me like I was breakable, even though I’d just let him unravel me completely. And now… here we were.
I shifted slightly and felt his hand tighten, pulling me back into him.
“Mmm,” he murmured, voice thick with sleep. “Don’t move.”
I smiled. “You’re awake.”
“Barely.” He kissed the back of my shoulder, then stayed there a moment like he didn’t want the world to come rushing in yet. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” I whispered.
His fingers slid under the hem of the blanket, resting over my stomach. “Last night… I didn’t go too far?”
“No,” I said quickly, rolling to face him. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were heavy with sleep, but the concern there was real. “You gave me everything I needed. I feel… calm.”
He smiled, soft and almost shy. “Good.”
We lay there like that for a while, not quite ready to let the day in. I traced lazy circles on his chest, and he watched me like he was memorizing every blink, every breath.
Eventually, though, life crept back in. His phone buzzed somewhere in the room. He groaned.
