Ring ring! Ring ring!

The familiar sound of my alarm slowly began to wake my groggy mind from its slumber... then the hot skin I felt against my chest and arms did the rest, jolting me awake as I recalled previous day's events.

I reached behind me while trying to avoid disturbing Alice's sleep. We'd somehow moved into a spooning position throughout the night, with me as the big spoon, and with my left arm trapped undernearth her and the thick quilt constricting my movements I was forced to blindly grope for my phone, which my addled mind struggled to achieve.

Ugh... was the nightstand always this big?

Once I finally got it, I immediately turned off the alarm, by which point the plump body in my embrace was already squirming. Checking the time, I saw it was 7:30.

I groaned as I realized I'd forgotten to exclude weekends when creating a new alarm the previous day.

Unfortunately, it seemed my desperate efforts to protect my wife's sleep were in vain. I felt my wife stretch her body, followed by a few *pop*s and a soft yawn.

"Mmmmh? Ryan?" Alice shuffled her body as she turned to face me, eyes almost fully closed and lined with sleep crust. She looked so damn cute it made me want to just eat her right up.

Seeing me, a sleepy smile bloomed on her face. "Mornin', baby."

I smiled right back. "Good morning, love. Sorry for waking you."

I gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, making her sigh in contentment.

"Go back to sleep," I urged her gently, guiding some strands of hair behind her ear.

"Cuddles?" she asked cutely, voice slurred from sleepiness.

"Cuddles," I happily acquiesced, moving to wrap my arms around her, her head against my chest. With how huggable she looked right now, I wouldn't have been able to say no to her even if I wanted.

"Mmmhh..."

I relished the way she wriggled happily against my body as she made sleepy hums of approval, and I couldn't help but bend down to nuzzle her soft hair. We stayed like that for a while, feeling the other's warmth, our hearts beating as one, wordlessly transmitting our love for each other.

This.This was what I had craved. What I hadn't known I needed until I had lost it. A emptiness I hadn't been able to place until I had finally managed to fill it again. More than the sloppy kisses, the passionate romps, all hot and sweaty, it was simple moments like this, where I just held her as she held me, wordlessly revelling in her presence, her scent, her softness.

This quiet, slow kind of love; the simple pleasure of knowing she was there for me, that she would always be, for we had vowed to spend our lives together... it was enough to make my heart swell in happiness and send tingles down my whole body.

It was with those happy those happy thoughts that I was lulled back to sleep.

 

---

 

It was with several long, gentle kisses that I slowly woke up, and the sight that greeted me was that of my wife's brilliant, smiling face, mirth dancing in her eyes.

Gosh, she's so damn gorgeous.

"Hey, you're finally awake," she said, immediately throwing the happy thoughts out of my head and making me groan sleepily.

"Couldn't you have chosen a deader meme, dear?" I deadpanned.

She shot me a dazzling, if still sleepy, smile. "I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, my love."

I made a show of considering her words for a long moment. "Hmmm... I won't be able to forget this transgression that easily. You deserve a punishment. Tickle time," I declared, a sadistic grin on my face.

"N-no! Please, mercy," she pleaded, before breaking into a fit of hysterical giggles as my hands found her ticklish armpits and went ham on them.

I stopped after a minute, satisfied with my handiwork. As I did, Alice finally slumped onto the bed, all energy drained from her body.

"Ryyaann, I hate youuuu..." she whined, flopping her arms weakly at me.

"Well, I love you," I responded with a rougish smirk, skillfully pinning them down.

Freeing one of her arms with a whip-like movement—oblivious of the fact I let her do it— she flung her palm my chest weakly, hitting it dead on. 

"Tsk. You smooth bastard. Aren't boyfriends supposed to turn lame after they become husbands?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I can become lamer if you want. "Ugh, I swear, kids these days... where's my dinner, woman!?"" I teased, putting on my best 'old man' voice.

She gave me a toothy grin. "Nah. I mean, I'd still love you no matter how lame, but I wouldn't change the current you for anything in the world. Fun, kind, selfless, caring, gentle, loving, passionate..." Realizing what she was saying aloud—in reply to an offhand joke at that—Alice's checks reddened, and she stumbled to catch herself.

"A–ahem. Point being–God this is embarrassing–I couldn't have asked for a better man to fall in love with. I'm a very lucky woman to have you."

I completely short-circuited at her words. We had never shied away from telling—or showing—how much we loved one another, but even before the... accident, she had never been this direct.

Is she... trying to make up for pushing me away these last few months?

Realizing I'd left her hanging, I hastily threw together a response.

"Alice, I... You can't imagine how happy hearing that makes me. And, thank you... for making such a big effort in bringing things back to how they used to be. I know it's hard, and I know you're hurting... I am too, even after all this time. But I'm happy you're trying so hard for our sake. I'll do all I can to help you, all you need to do is ask."

She actually gasped slightly at my words.

"Ryan, you... Thank you. Thank you so much. You're right, I've been trying to leave that behind us, but... it's hard. I still get nightmares about it, and wake up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat—you must've heard my screams some nights, even from up here. I'm still afraid of going outside, and I'm still not ready to do certain things. But I want to get over it with you, I want us to be able to lean on each other."

Before I knew it, my hands were tightly gripping Alice's, my lips locked with hers in a show of unrestrained passion.

Her lips desperately sought mine, tongue lapping at them as fluids were exchanged.  

I ended the hot kiss far too soon for both our tastes, but it was necessary. I had to tell her something.

"Alice, I... I'll always be there for you. For anything you need. You can rely on me, and I'll rely on you. Together, we're stronger." I gave her a genuine smile, somehow not minding the cheesy-as-hell lines I'd just spewed. They just felt too right to register as cringey.

Clearly she thought so too, as she beamed right back. "Yeah. Always. I'm yours, forever."

"Alice, you're not–"

"Oh, don't you dare finish that sentence, Mister!" She said in a berating tone, though the barely contained smirk betrayed her real feelings.

Ah... I guess she remembers. We've argued about that a few times already... well, 'arguing' might be too strong of a word to describe it. Just a dumb little hold up of mine. I'm not her owner.

She cuddled up further into me, before muttering, "I don't care about semantics and stuff. I'm yours, and that's that. How you interpret it is up to you."

I smiled wryly at that. "If you say so..."

Then I interpret it as it meaning nothing. How about that, huh? Checkmate!

She nodded, seemingly satisfied, unaware of my childish inner thoughts. But then, she paused, as if she'd suddenly remembered something, and her face took on a slightly somber look. "Oh, I've been putting it off, but there's... something you should know."

I froze at her words, alarm bells suddenly ringing in my head. "Does it... have to do with a man?" I asked woodenly.

"Eh? Well, yes...?"

My heart threatened to stop, panic gripping me utterly.

"...but not in the way you're probably thinking. Don't worry Ryan, I'd never, ever cheat on you. Hah, I would kill myself before doing that."

I looked into her eyes. They were filled with nothing but utmost sincerity as she gazed back.

I nodded once, them gave her a peck on the lips, non-verbally conveying my trust for her.

I believe you.

She gave a faint smile, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by grim resolve.

"You see, a couple weeks ago I... hired a private detective to track you."

My eyes widened at her revelation. It was infinitely better than her cheating, but it still sent me staggering.

"You..."

"S–sorry. I'm so sorry. I... wasn't in my right mind back then. I– I never once stopped loving you, I swear, but I thought we… I thought I was beyond saving. I– I just wanted you to leave me, to find someone better, someone... worthy of you. 

"But you stubbornly stuck with me. I love you all the more for that, Ryan, but at the time I just felt desperate to rid you of the burden that was your wife. S–So I tried to find reasons to ask for a divorce myself. I... I found nothing."

She took a deep, shaky breath and continued.

"So I hired a detective, t–to track you after so he would catch you if you cheated on me. To have a reason to let you go. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Ryan. I've already dismissed him, but I heard the conversation you had with... Melissa, your coworker, on Thursday afternoon. He recorded it and sent it to immediately; I'd replayed it several times by the time you got home."

She clutched my shirt tightly, and I felt my front start to get wet from tears.

"I– You rejected such a bright and beautiful woman for me... I felt elated when I heard it. And I hate myself for it. I didn't feel an ounce of remorse at the time, for violating your privacy; I just felt... happy. 

"But now I realize how horrible what I did really was, and I'm sorry. And thankful, for you staying loyal to me. I promise I'll repay every single sacrifice you have made for me. Just... please let me make this up to you. I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm not that selfish. But please... don't give up on me yet. I beg you."

She was desperate, and it showed in both her tone and words. And I was angry. I felt betrayed, wronged, cheated—

—but anger wasn't what she needed right now. I could scold her later.

I tenderly wrapped my arms around her, pressing her to my front, and brought my mouth down to her ear.

"Shhhh, shhhh, come on, don't cry now. It's alright. I'd never give up on you. No matter what."

She didn't respond, only tightening her hold of me.

We stayed like that for a while, my thoughts conflicted.

Eventually, my wife pried herself off my chest and, after looking into my eyes with a gaze that held uncountable emotions within, slowly shuffled out of bed with a muttered "I'll go get breakfast ready".

And so I was left there, alone with my thoughts, the mattress beside me still warm and smelling like her.