Athena slowly stirred awake, the warmth surrounding her making her reluctant to open her eyes.
A steady heartbeat thrumd against her ear, a comforting rhythm that soothed her even before full consciousness set in.
She shifted slightly, only to feel strong arms tightening around her, keeping her close.
A deep inhale from the man beside her sent shivers down her spine, and she knew exactly where she was.
Her gaze slowly traveled upward, and she found herself staring into the face of Mors, his features relaxed in sleep, his dark lashes resting against his skin.
His grip around her waist was secure, as if even in sleep, he refused to let her go.
It was different from the first ti they had shared a bed before her death, this ti, there was sothing grounding about it, sothing that made her feel safe.
She took a deep breath, reminding herself that this was real. She was back. And Mors was still here, alive, breathing beside her, not her lying lifeless on a battlefield overrun by Zergs.
She tightened her fingers against the fabric of his shirt as if reassuring herself that this was reality.
But her slight movent caused him to stir. His brow furrowed slightly, and with a soft sigh, he opened his eyes, their deep gaze locking onto hers imdiately.
For a brief mont, neither of them spoke, rely looking at each other as the haze of sleep faded. Then, his arms pulled her closer.
"You’re awake," he murmured, his voice deep and husky from sleep.
"So are you," she whispered back.
A small silence stretched between them before Mors exhaled heavily and brushed a hand over her hair, his touch lingering. "Did you sleep well?"
Athena hesitated. "I... I did, eventually."
He studied her, his gaze sharp despite his grogginess. "No more nightmares?"
"Not after you held ," she admitted. A warmth crept into her cheeks as she realized how vulnerable that sounded, but she didn’t take it back.
Mors humd, his fingers continuing their gentle strokes along her back. "Good. You need rest."
For a mont, Athena simply lay there, allowing herself to indulge in the warmth of his presence. But the mont was soon interrupted by the low growl of her stomach.
Mors raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching. "Hungry?"
Athena groaned and buried her face in his chest. "Don’t say anything."
He chuckled softly, his chest vibrating against her. "Let’s eat."
Reluctantly, Athena pulled herself away from his warmth and sat up, stretching as the cool air replaced the heat of their embrace.
Mors followed suit, rising from the bed in one fluid motion.
They got ready in silence, though Athena couldn’t help but steal glances at Mors as he dressed.
There was sothing so natural about this, waking up together, preparing for the day, but it still felt foreign to her after everything they had been through.
By the ti they reached the dining area, breakfast had already been set on the table. The spread was simple but nourishing, stead eggs, fresh fruit, and a warm broth.
Athena sat across from Mors, picking up her utensils as she glanced at him.
"Did you plan this?" she asked, motioning to the al.
Mors shook his head. "The staff knows your schedule now. They prepared food in advance."
Athena humd in acknowledgnt and took a bite. The warm broth was comforting, and she sighed in satisfaction.
As they ate, Mors set his utensils down and fixed her with a serious gaze. "I want to assign a few military guards to you."
Athena blinked. "What?"
"You need protection," Mors stated firmly. "After what happened before, I don’t want to take risks. You’re a celebrity."
She frowned. "I can handle myself, Mors."
"I know," he admitted, "but that doesn’t an I won’t take precautions. You’re too important to be left unguarded."
Athena bit her lip. She understood his concern, but sothing about the idea of being watched constantly made her uneasy.
"I don’t want to be followed everywhere," she said carefully.
"I’m not asking you to stay locked inside," Mors reassured her. "I just want soone to be nearby, in case anything happens."
Athena sighed, knowing he wouldn’t back down from this. "Alright," she relented. "But I get to choose who follows ."
Mors smirked slightly. "Fair enough."
They continued eating in comfortable silence, though Athena couldn’t shake the feeling that things were changing between them.
The way Mors was watching over her, the way he spoke as if he had every intention of keeping her by his side, it felt different from the distant, calculated man she had first t.
As she sipped her tea, she looked up at him once more. "Thank you," she said softly.
Mors raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For taking care of ."
His expression softened ever so slightly. "You’re my wife. It’s my responsibility."
Athena chuckled. "You make it sound like an obligation."
Mors set his cup down and leaned forward slightly. "It’s not."
Their eyes t, and at that mont, Athena felt sothing shift between them, an unspoken understanding, a quiet acknowledgnt of everything they had been through and everything they still had to face.
And for the first ti in a long ti, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could make this work again.
Athena lowered her gaze, focusing on the swirling tea in her cup. The warmth seeped into her fingers, grounding her thoughts as she absorbed Mors’ words.
He had always been a man of duty, soone who did what was necessary without hesitation.
But there was sothing different in the way he said it this ti, sothing softer, more personal.
She hesitated for a mont before speaking. "You weren’t always this gentle," she remarked, lifting her eyes to et his again.
Mors tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words. "People change," he said simply.
Athena scoffed playfully. "You? Change? I thought the great Major General Mors was as rigid as a battle formation."
His lips quirked slightly, the closest thing to amusent she had seen from him in a long ti. "Perhaps you’re an exception."
The words sent a strange flutter through her chest, and she quickly took another sip of tea to distract herself.
She wasn’t used to this side of him. Before, he had always been composed, and indifferent.
Now, it felt like he was truly paying attention, as if he saw her, not just as his assigned wife, but as Athena.
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