At around midnight, you heard the soft click of your front door opening and closing, and quiet footsteps making their way up the stairs.
Your bedroom door opened, and you were met with the familiar face of your husband. Gray eyes met yours. Then they scanned the room.
He was confused. He was expecting to come home and finish off some work, then curl up next to you in bed and drift off to sleep. He didn't think he would find himself in a situation like this.
Earlier, you had placed several small candles all around the room, filling the air with the fresh scent of berries and wine. They had a faint glow to them, giving the room a calm feeling. Even the moonlight was blocked out by the curtains.
You were barely visible in the dim light, sitting on the bed with your back against the headboard. You had your arms crossed over your short, black gossamer robe, that ended at just above your mid-thigh, and did nothing to hide your matching undergarments.
Once Levi had looked around the room, his eyes met yours again.
Slowly, you slid off the bed and walked over to him, stopping when you were centimeteres away. From your position on the bed, you couldn't really see his face properly. But now, you were standing right in front of him, and you frowned as you noticed the eye bags that had started to form.
You lifted your hands and carefully brushed some hair away from his face. And you didn't fail to notice the way his eyes fluttered closed, the way his shoulders relaxed, and the way he leaned into your comforting touch. You placed your hand on his cheek, stroking his cheekbone with your thumb, your other hand on his chest.
He rubbed his cheek into your palm, and your heart melted at how much he needed you.
"I've had the worst few days," he whispered, leaning forward a little more until his forehead was resting against yours.
"I know..." You looked at him with soft eyes. "Don't worry, love. This work nightmare will be over soon."
Levi exhaled and placed his hands on your lower back, bringing you closer until you were flush against him. You didn't mind - knowing he needed the closeness.
"Levi," you purred as you slid your fingers down his face, his shoulders, his arms, then finally taking his hands. "You need to relax," you insisted, gently leading him to the bathroom.
He didn't fight you. Not when he was so exhausted.
Even the bathroom was a mirror image of the bedroom - dark, the the faintest glow of candles that were scattered around the room. You let go of Levi's hands and drew a bath. As the tub filled with hot water, Levi took of his jacket and started to undo his shirt.
"Let me," you said, taking your husbands hands, gently moving them away.
Levi stood still as you undressed him, his eyes never once leaving your face. Every brush of your fingertips on his skin left sparks everywhere they touched. Then you took his hand and led him into the steaming water, letting him lean his head back on the rim once he was comfortable.
Once he was settled, your placed your hand on his cheek and kissed his sweet lips. His eyelids fluttered closed, and you felt the tension seep out of his muscles from your touch alone. You pulled away and started to wash his hair for him while he sat still in the tub, gently massaging his head in the process.
Once you were done with that, you just sat next to him; you knew he wanted you close. He grabbed your hand and laced his fingers with yours. You brought your joined hands towards your lips and placed a kiss on his knuckles.
He sank a little further into the tub and let out a long exhale. You placed another kiss on this knuckles, then his cheek, then this lips.
"Stay as long as you like," you whispered, then you kissed him one last time and returned to the bedroom so he could have some time to relax on his own. You shut the door and sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, waiting for him to come out as you inhaled the calming aroma of the candles.
Levi emerged from the bathroom a little while later, a white towel wrapped around his waist, one hanging around his neck.
He went to the dresser and changed into a pair of briefs, and once he was done, you patted the space next to you.
"Come here," you whispered.
Levi obeyed. He sat on the bed, his head hung low. You sat on the floor between his legs, took the towel from his neck and started to dry his hair. He leaned into your touch. Neither of you said a word. All he needed was you.
Once you were done drying his hair, you placed the towel in the hamper in the bathroom and walked over to him to sit between his legs again.
He leaned forward and rested his forehead on your shoulder, making you smile and place your hands on his back, rubbing up and down.
"You okay?" you asked, nuzzling your nose into his neck.
Levi nodded against you. As you rubbed his back, you could feel that most the tension had left his muscles.
"Levi..." You pulled back and looked at him, your heart sinking once you saw his glassy eyes. But you knew he didn't want to talk about it - not right now. So, instead, you took his face in your hands. "Are you hungry?"
He shook his head and closed his eyes.
You pursed your lips, knowing he said no because it was late, and he knew you were tired.
"Okay, well... how about some tea?"
Levi's eyes slowly opened to look at you. After a few moments, he nodded.
You smiled warmly and took his hand, leading him downstairs and to the living room. His head still hung low the entire time. You sat him down in front of the fireplace, which you had lit before he came home.
"I'll be right back." You kissed his cheek.
You walked into the kitchen and stared boiling the water, wanting to get back to Levi as quickly as possible.
While you were making his tea, you felt two strong arms wrap around you from behind. You looked behind you and saw Levi's tired face. He looked so worn out. You placed your hands over his and leaned back into his chest. Levi probably thought you were gone for too long, even though it was just for a few minutes.
The only thing Levi had said when he came back was that he's had the worst few days - nothing else. But maybe that was all that he needed to say, because he knew you would take care of him. He knew you would do anything to make him calm, even if he hadn't said anything at all.
You brewed his tea and took his hand and led him back into the living room, sitting him down in front of the fireplace once more. He started to quietly sip on his tea, and you watched his every movement, trying to see what else he was feeling.
But all you saw was exhaustion.
He finished his tea after a while and just stared at the fire. He held his empty cup in a death grip in his hands, so you took it off him walked into the kitchen to place it into the sink.
When you went back, you noticed his head was hung low again, and you frowned. You walked over to him and sat between his legs on your knees, facing him.
"Levi?" you asked, worried by his silence.
You noticed that his hands had turned into fists, his knuckles white, his nails digging into his palms so hard that you were sure it was hurting him.
He didn't speak for a while. The only noise in the room was the sporadic cracking of the fire. You placed your hand on his fist, and you could practically feel him immediately loosen it, as if you just broke him out of a trance.
"Levi, please," you whispered. "Please, talk to me."
After a few more moments of listening to the soothing sound of the fire, he finally spoke.
"I..." he whispered, so quietly that you could barely hear him. "I'm so sorry..."
Your breath hitched.
"I'm so sorry, Y/N." His voice cracked slightly, and you knew he was on the verge of tears, but he kept speaking anyway. "I'm so sorry for being such a shitty husband."
No... No.
"My love," you breathed. "Where is this coming from?"
"I just... I just think... You deserve so much more than... me."
No...
"You deserve someone who can spend time with you... You deserve someone who isn't busy with their stupid paperwork all the time... And someone who can actually come home to you every day."
Your heart dropped.
"No... No, Levi," you whispered sadly, cupping his face in your hands, making him look at you. "Levi... I..." You couldn't even speak; you were so shocked.
He looked down again. "I feel like I'm not making you happy enough... Like there's something more I could do to make you happy."
You took a deep breath and stilled yourself, thinking carefully about what you were going to say.
"Shh..." you murmured, bringing him closer. "It's okay. C'mere." You wrapped your arms around him tightly, trying to convey everything you felt through your touch. "Levi... Listen to me." You pulled away slightly, making sure he was listening to everything you were about to say. You gave him a soft smile once you saw his glassy eyes. "You're not a bad husband, my love. Don't ever think that... I... I love you so much, and I am happy." You placed your hand on his cheek and wiped a few of the tears that had started to fall from his beautiful eyes. "I would never, ever want anyone else but you, Levi. I love you. So much. And... I understand that you have paperwork, and I understand that you might not be able to spend a lot of time with me. I understand that you have a lot on your plate right now. But that doesn't mean I think you're a shitty husband. I know that it's something you have to do. And I know you try your best to come home to me every night. I know you want to come home to me every night... I... All I want is... for you to to get some rest." You kissed him. "Please, Levi... I hate seeing you so exhausted. Just... please."
He leaned forward and nudged his nose against yours, telling you what he wanted. You smiled and kissed him again, smiling against his lips when he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist.
"What can I do, Y/N?" he asked when he pulled away. "What can I do to make you even more happy?"
You moved some of his hair out of his eyes and smiled. "Oh, Levi," you cooed, feeling your heart swell. "Didn't I tell you? I'm already so, so happy."
"No, Y/N..." He paused, trying to articulate his words. "What's your dream?"
You bit your lip and smiled as you answered. "I'm looking at him."
His eyes looked into yours with all the tenderness in the world, and he kissed you so deeply that you blinked in shock, but then you melted and slid your arms around his neck, running your hand through his hair.
Once again, Levi was home.
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An hour had passed, and you and Levi had moved to the couch to get more comfortable. His head was on your lap, and you were running your fingers through his soft hair, staring at his sleeping face.
Your heart constricted at how tired he actually was. He was more than tired - he was exhausted. You thought it was more mental exhaustion than physical; you couldn't imagine what he deals with every day. The title he held only meant people looked up to him even more than everyone else. He's been under so much pressure.
You felt a protective urge roll over you.
The Scout in me wants to deal with this situation and help him with whatever he's going through...
The lover in me wants to steal my Levi away to a desert island, where I can just take care of him and be with him all the time...
With a sigh, you leaned down and kissed his forehead, smiling when you heard him grumble. You enjoyed this close time with him; you hadn't had much of it lately, but it was understandable.
You thought back to the conversation you had earlier.
"I'm so sorry for being such a shitty husband."
"I just... I just think... You deserve so much more than... me."
How could he ever think such a thing?
My poor Levi...
But then, you thought back to how you reassured him that he wasn't a bad husband, and that you could never, ever want anyone else. And you knew that he believed you.
Deciding that you wanted to get some rest, you leaned down and gently kissed his lips.
"Levi," you whispered, making him stir and frown in this sleep. You smiled and kissed him again. "Levi, bedtime, baby."
He inhaled as he stretched. Then he opened his eyes and stared at you, as if he forgot where he was.
You ran your fingers through his hair again. "Bedtime." You smiled.
He stood up and took your hand, leading you upstairs and into your bedroom. But, before you had the chance to lay him down, he stopped and turned to you. His eyes roamed over your body, then they found yours with an emotion you couldn't quite place. You tried to speak, but the words caught in your throat. All speech suddenly felt foreign as you looked into his eyes.
His gaze held yours for a long moment before his hands found your robe and slid it from your shoulders, leaving you in just your undergarments in front of him. His eyes found yours once more, filled with that same unknown emotion.
You still couldn't tell what he wanted; he wasn't looking at you with lust. Despite what taking off your robe would suggest, you knew he didn't want to sleep with you. You weren't sure what he wanted, but you felt no need to ask, because you trusted him. You loved him, and you couldn't bear to see him in pain, as he was now. So you resolved to give him whatever he wanted, whatever comfort he needed.
Levi's eyes stayed on yours as he stepped closer to you and wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You instinctively folded your arms around him, accepting. So this is what he wanted - to hold you close and feel your skin. To know that he wasn't alone.
You walked him backwards toward the bed and laid him down, tucking him under the covers. He was almost asleep already.
You leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Go to sleep, my love," you whispered.
"Stay," he murmured.
Your heart melted, and you kissed his cheek - a silent promise that you would stay. Then, one by one, you blew out the candles in your bathroom and in your bedroom. In complete darkness, you made your way back to the bed and crawled under the covers.
Levi wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close. "Hey, Y/N?"
"Hm?" You nuzzled your nose into his hair, comforted by his natural scent.
"Thank you." His eyes searched yours.
"For what?" you asked, lifting your palm to rest on his cheek.
"For finding me."
Your heart warmed and you kissed him, all your love pouring through your lips. "We were always going to find each other, Levi - I know it..." you whispered. "And... Thank you."
"What for?"
You smiled warmly as he nudged his forehead against yours.
"For giving me a home to fight for."
He smiled as he looked around the room, deep in thought. You turned his head to face you again, smiling at how oblivious he was.
"No, Levi... I don't mean the house." You chuckled quietly. "I mean you."
He blinked in shock, then slowly, a small smile adorned his face.
"I love you." You held him tight. "Go to sleep," you whispered.
"I love you so much more."
You pulled him closer into you, until you were a mirror image of how you were standing a few moments ago. It wasn't long before Levi fell asleep to the sound of your heart beating.
You smiled softly to yourself, glad that you were able to comfort him this way.
"I love you," you whispered again into his hair, even though you knew he wouldn't reply since he was fast asleep.
Content that he was finally at rest, you followed him into unconsciousness. Safe and warm in each other's arms, the two of you shared a deep slumber that lasted through the night and well beyond the break of day.