The fire blazed violently as you tried to escape the room you were in. The smell of burnt fabric clouded the room as you watched your belongings burn fiercely. Tears streamed down your face while your throat burned. An escape was your only goal at this time however you were too panicked to think straight to find one.
The bedroom door smashed open and there stood a mysterious man, deranged smile plastered on face, fists clenched and blood trickling down the side of his head. Your heart was in your throat as you watched him watch you. Right as you were going to back away, with insane speed, he rushed to you and as soon as he placed his hand around your throat-
You shot up from the bed, drenched in sweat and face feeling as hot as the sun. There was a lump in your throat as you took a moment to look around the room and realized it was all just a bad dream. You began to cry to yourself, feeling scared and lonely.
A light knock was heard at the door and a faint voice was heard.
"Madame? Are you okay?" You calmed yourself a bit and looked at the closed door.
"I-Is Katakuri back yet?" A few seconds of silence followed by a small 'no'. You resumed crying to yourself and felt your heart ache. During times like this, you really needed him.
~
It was morning time now and you felt exhausted. You awoke from your nightmare around 2 in the morning and have been up since. You were uncomfortable and had trouble putting yourself at ease. All you wanted was him.
"Madame, I have served you breakfast with some tea, whenever you're ready." You gave a weak smile to the maid and wandered off into the dining area. You placed yourself on the crimson cushion chair and scooted yourself closer to the large mahogany table. The food looked delightful however, your appetite was not present in that moment. You felt depressed. It's been weeks since you've last seen your husband and you've been having reoccurring nightmares.
Revisiting the trauma after telling Brûlée about your past had caused you to have terrible nightmares. Even with maids and butlers always present and waiting for a word of command, you felt incredibly lonely.
"Forgive me, the cook worked hard on this meal but I just don't have the appetite this morning. Please, send him my apologies. However, I will take the tea to the garden though."
"Very good." The maid grabbed the tea for you as she followed you to the garden. It was a bit chilly but the autumn leaves made it bearable.
"Good morning, (Y/N)." You looked at the giant tree in your garden and saw Cracker sitting under the shade of the tree. You gave a small smile before deciding to sit next to him. He gave a smile then observed your changed features.
"Huh. You look sick. Have you been getting any sleep?" You gave a small giggle before looking down at your cup of tea.
"No. It's been a bit hard."
"He'll be back soon."
"Isn't it sad that I depend on him so much?" He gave you a confused look but listened to you more.
"When we aren't together, I get so sad and depressed. But lately... I've just been having these dreams and it makes everything so much more worse than before. Like... it amplifies the feeling of fear and loneliness..."
"Well you know, as your husband, it is his job to help you cope with all of that. To help you through times like that. He, of course, has his duties to fulfill but it wouldn't kill him or anyone else to take a break for the sake of his marriage." He watched the leaves and didn't bother to look at you. He genuinely disliked talking about sappy stuff like this but he could tell you needed someone. You felt a bit warm inside, just thinking about having your husband back from his mission soon made you happy. You knew he was a very busy person but you still needed him.
"Is there anything you need before I head out for my own duties?"
"You've done enough. Thank you." He stood up, stretched and gave you one last look before grinning and excusing himself.
You cuddled up against the tree and sipped your tea, hoping that Katakuri would return home sooner than later.
.
.
.
It was about midnight when Katakuri made his way through the front doors of his home. He was greeted by the maids and without a word, he walked passed them all to make his way to the shared bedroom, knowing you were laying in wait for him.
As he approached the room, he saw an elder maid standing outside the room. He found this unusual since the maids usually never remain by the rooms unless you were feeling ill. The thought worried him a bit as he approached her quickly.
"Is she alright?" She looked up at him and sighed.
"She's alright. She's just been having terrible nightmares as of late and I just like checking up on her when she wakes up."
"Nightmares?"
"She asks for you every single time. She wakes up crying and when I ask if she is okay or
if she needs anything, she asks for you." The guilt sank into Katakuri heavily. He didn't say anything else to the maid. With a small nod as a sign of appreciation, he parted from the woman and entered the bedroom quietly. There you were, asleep under the plush comforter. You looked very peaceful however, remembering what the maid said, it probably won't last long.
.
.
.
Katakuri sat on the bed with his back against the headboard, eyes closed but not sleeping.
You stirred in the bed and started whimpering. Katakuri opened his eyes and turned his body towards you. You gripped the comforter and squeezed your eyes shut tightly, battling another bad dream. Your breathing turned rapid as well, sweat starting to coat your body.
"(Y/N)..." He placed his hand on your cheek and rubbed it softly, trying to wake you up gently, without startling you.
You continued to stir and cry, the feeling getting worse. He finally spoke louder and placed his hand on your shoulder.
"(Y/N)." Your eyes shot open as you sprang up from the sleeping position you were just in, trying to catch your breath and crying. You felt a hand touch you and you immediately gasped and turned to see who it was.
"Katakuri?" He pulled you into a warm embrace, letting you know that he was there now and that you didn't need to worry. As shocked as you were for him to be there in that moment, you felt very grateful and protected. You wrapped your arms around him and cried into his torso.
He felt sad that you had to deal with all of these emotions alone and felt upset with himself for allowing himself to be away for so long.
"I plan on making arrangements for us to be able to spend more time together." You pulled away and looked up at him. He stared at you from behind his scarf. You flashed a smile before pulling his scarf down and reaching up to kiss him. He gave you a long passionate kiss. It made you melt and feel like everything was going to be okay.
