Adrian stood in front of the mirror, towel wrapped around his waist, droplets of water sliding down his pale skin. He was drying his hair after a long shower, feeling sowhat refreshed after everything they had been through in the past few days. The scent of soap lingered in the air, and for a brief mont, Adrian allowed himself to feel a semblance of peace.
As he looked at his reflection, his hand instinctively rested on his abdon. A baby... my baby, he thought, marveling at the tiny life growing inside him. It still felt surreal, but each passing mont made it more real. The thought brought a small smile to his lips, though his heart was still heavy with the lingering shadows of fear.
A soft knock on the bathroom door broke him from his reverie.
"Adrian, everything okay?" Ethan’s voice called from the other side.
Adrian smiled to himself. "Yes, I’m coming," he replied, quickly finishing up and slipping into so comfortable clothes.
When he walked downstairs, the sll of sothing... burning hit him. His brow furrowed as he stepped into the kitchen, only to be t with a sight that made him freeze in his tracks.
The once pristine kitchen was now a chaotic ss. Flour covered the countertops, a frying pan was smoking on the stove, and various ingredients were scattered across the floor. Ethan stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking like he had just survived a war zone, his apron sared with batter and sauce.
Adrian’s jaw dropped. "What on earth happened here?"
Ethan, looking like a deer caught in headlights, quickly tried to hide a burnt dish behind his back. "Uh... I was... cooking?"
Adrian blinked, trying to process the scene in front of him. "You call this cooking?" he asked, barely suppressing a laugh.
Ethan scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly glancing around the disaster he had created. "Well... I wanted to make sothing special for you. You’ve been through a lot, and I thought... maybe I could surprise you with a nice al."
Adrian crossed his arms, smirking. "A surprise? Ethan, this looks like you tried to blow up the kitchen."
Ethan chuckled nervously, glancing at the burnt dish in his hand. "Okay, so maybe I’m not the best cook, but I was really trying. You weren’t supposed to see this ss. I was just about to tell the servants to clean it up before you ca down."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to the counter and picking up a spatula coated in what looked like failed pancake batter. "Were you really about to throw this away?" he teased, waving the spatula at Ethan.
Ethan gave a dramatic sigh. "Trust , love, you don’t want to eat this. I’m going to practice more and—"
But before he could finish, Adrian cut him off. "No way! I’m eating the food made by my loving husband," he declared with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Ethan shook his head adamantly. "Absolutely not. I’m not letting you eat this disaster. You and the baby need proper food, not whatever this... thing is."
Adrian grinned, stepping closer and poking Ethan in the chest. "Are you saying you wouldn’t eat the food I make for you?"
"Of course, I would," Ethan replied, wrapping an arm around Adrian’s waist, pulling him closer. "But trust , you don’t deserve this culinary atrocity."
Adrian giggled, looking up at Ethan with playful defiance. "I think I do. Besides, it’s made with love, right?"
Ethan groaned. "Adrian, please, I don’t want to poison you with my terrible cooking."
Adrian stood on his toes, pressing a light kiss to the corner of Ethan’s mouth. "I’ll risk it," he whispered, his lips lingering.
Ethan sighed in defeat, his arms wrapping tighter around Adrian’s waist as he rested his forehead against Adrian’s. "You’re impossible, you know that?"
"And you’re terrible at cooking," Adrian replied cheekily.
"Fine," Ethan finally relented, kissing the tip of Adrian’s nose. "You win. But next ti, I’ll make sothing edible."
Adrian laughed, the sound light and happy. "Deal."
After their playful quarrel, the two decided to let the servants handle the kitchen ss while they sat down for a simple dinner. Ethan watched Adrian closely, ensuring he was comfortable, his eyes soft with affection. Adrian, in turn, appreciated the effort Ethan had put into the evening, even if the cooking hadn’t gone as planned.
Later, as they made their way upstairs, Ethan kept his arm wrapped protectively around Adrian’s waist. Once they reached their bedroom, Adrian collapsed onto the bed with a sigh, smiling as Ethan joined him, pulling him into a gentle embrace.
"Comfortable?" Ethan murmured, his fingers tracing soft patterns on Adrian’s back.
"Mhm," Adrian humd, resting his head on Ethan’s chest. "You always make feel safe."
Ethan pressed a soft kiss to Adrian’s forehead, his voice a gentle whisper. "That’s all I want—to keep you safe. You and our baby."
Adrian looked up, his silver eyes shimring with emotion. "You really an that, don’t you?"
Ethan’s gaze softened as he cupped Adrian’s face. "With everything I am."
The two of them lay there, wrapped in the warmth of each other’s presence, their breathing slowing as the night wore on. They shared soft whispers, small kisses, and lingering touches that spoke of the deep bond between them. There was sothing so peaceful about being in each other’s arms, the weight of the world seeming to disappear when they were together.
As the night deepened, Adrian found himself drifting off to sleep, feeling safe in Ethan’s embrace.
But that peace didn’t last.
Soti in the dead of night, Adrian stirred in his sleep, his breathing becoming uneven. In his mind, the darkness swirled, and nightmares began to creep in. He saw his father, Wuner Hudel, standing on a cliffside, pushing him into the crashing waves of the ocean below. The icy water closed in around him, suffocating him, pulling him under.
Suddenly, the image changed. Lady Sachel was standing over him, holding a gun, her eyes cold as she pulled the trigger. The sound echoed in his mind, and then everything went dark again.
He was suffocating, his throat closing up, unable to breathe as Anshi’s hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing, choking—
Adrian gasped, bolting upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gulps as he fought to shake off the remnants of the nightmare.
"Adrian...?"
Ethan’s voice was soft, but filled with worry. He was imdiately at Adrian’s side, his arms wrapping around him protectively. "Adrian, hey, it’s okay. It was just a dream. I’m here."
Adrian’s hands trembled as he clung to Ethan, his eyes wide and filled with tears. "It felt so real," he whispered, his voice shaky. "They... they were trying to kill ."
Ethan’s heart ached at the sight of Adrian so vulnerable. He held him close, his hand running through Adrian’s hair in soothing strokes. "You’re safe, Adrian. No one’s going to hurt you. I won’t let them."
Adrian sobbed, his face pressed against Ethan’s chest. The emotions he had been holding in for so long finally spilled over, and he cried, the fear, the pain, and the uncertainty all crashing down on him at once.
"I-I’m so scared, Ethan," Adrian choked out between sobs. "Everything... everything’s falling apart."
Ethan’s arms tightened around him, his voice steady and filled with unwavering love. "I know, baby. But you’re not alone. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get through this. Together."
Adrian buried his face in Ethan’s chest, his tears soaking into Ethan’s shirt. "Promise ... promise you’ll stay with ."
Ethan gently lifted Adrian’s chin, his eyes locking with Adrian’s tear-filled gaze. "I promise," he whispered, leaning in to press a tender kiss to Adrian’s lips. "I’m not going anywhere, ever."
Adrian’s sobs gradually quieted, his breathing slowing as he cald down in Ethan’s arms. The warmth of Ethan’s embrace, the steady beat of his heart, it all brought Adrian back from the brink of panic.
"Thank you," Adrian whispered, his voice hoarse from crying.
Ethan smiled softly, brushing a stray tear from Adrian’s cheek. "You don’t have to thank . I’m just doing what I promised—taking care of you."
As the night wore on, Ethan continued to hold Adrian close, whispering reassurances into his ear until sleep finally claid him again.
However, Ethan was wide awake. He looked possessively at Adrian.
"How dare they touch my wife...my treasure." A sharp glint crossed his eyes.
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