"y/n?" Jay's voice was soft and quiet, and for a moment Jay forgot all about the horrific sleep she had just woken up from.
Looking up from the floor, she managed a small smile as she watched him walk towards her, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Are you okay?"
She sat up from the floor, swiping her hand under her eye to see that she had in fact been crying. How long had she been crying? She didn't know.
But she quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes before holding her hands out to Jay, and he walked into her arms as if it was instinct, accepting her hug.
"I'm alright, Jay. I'm sorry for waking you up," y/n apologised, moving her dark hair away from her face.
"Why were you crying y/n?" He asked, playing with her fingers. He had a habit of doing that.
"Just a bad dream, that's all"
"Why didn't you call me when you woke up to help you?" asked. y/n furrowed her eyebrows,
"I actually thought that you left for your trip" she spoke on a small voice making him frown,"
"why were you going to do?"
"Yes, I'm going down to the kitchen, and you should go back to bed,"
She said, rising to her feet, but he could see her struggling to get up.
She shouldn't be walking around.
"Can I come?" Jay asked, tugging gently
at her hand.
y/n would have protested, but Jay was a persistent as a determined child and she wasn't in the right headspace to stay arguing with him. So, she nodded, allowing him
Once they were in the kitchen with the help of Jay ofcourse, she took her time drinking her water before he carried her to her room for the second time. And there when he noticed her wet hair, it wasn't even dried.
"y/n?" he pushed a soaking strand of curly
hair from her forehead. His lips felt hot as he
looked at her. "Why is your hair wet?"
"I was actually trying to wash it but I couldn't stand that long to dry it," she mumbled the injury on hee legs didntet her, her face lined with exhaustion.
"I do not need you to take care of me" She struggled to push him away, but he only tightened his grip around her waist and shoulders.
"It is my duty to care of you now-I'm your husband," he said and shifted his left elbow under her knees.
Carefully, he lifted her into his arms and stood, his legs wide to support him.
y/n's head lolled against his shoulder and she curled into a tighter ball. She shook like a leaf in his arms. Droplets of water came down from her hair, Jay forced himself to not be distracted by the feel of her in his arms.
He kicked open the door to her room.
It was dark inside, and the scent of wet hair tickled his nose.
Carefully, he placed her in a rickety chair that barely fit between the edge of the bed and the wall. Water streamed fromn y/n's hair and dress to pool on the floor.
"I will help you dry your hair," Jay said clearing his throat again at the unbidden memory of their kiss.
He expected her to argue with him, but instead she collapsed into the bed, pulling her knees to her chest until she was in a tight ball. Her wet hair still clung to her back, soaking through the thin fabric of the nightshirt. She would be cold, Jay realized.
"y/n?" he whispered cautiously several
moments later. A mewling snore was his only
answer. That small sound tugged at his heart
and made the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
Carefully, he sat on the bed beside her and pulled the mass of wet hair away from her back and shoulders. With the rough towel, he gently dried her hair as best he could.
He tried to focus on the task at hand, and not how strange it was that he was attracted to this beautiful, fiery woman. Feeling more than he should to this women in front of him.
Here he was, toweling dry her long dark hair. How did this happen?
Once y/n's hair was as dry as the damp towel could get it, he hung the rough cloth over the back of the chair that he pushed against the door to make room for himself on the floor.
He knows that she will be feeling safe with another presence in the room and as long as she will be feeling safe with his presence.
He did truly love her- but didn't know how to show it. It's been two months since they were married and he doesn't know how to show her his love.
His real love.
Love is a protector, a defender, a ride-or-die connection that stays with you for always and in all ways.
