Arranged marriage, she never received much kindness before. He's older than her. She loves cooking for him even though they don't love each other, distant relationships living under the same roof. She's bad at cooking but he eats anyways not bothering to say anything, she has been taking a few cooking classes resulting in her fingers being cut and full of bandages. They both care for each other but never say. He catches her fingers.
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He feels her sigh and looks down to see her head bowed, his heart heavy with guilt. "Look at me," he says softly, gently lifting her chin so that she meets his gaze. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."
She mumbles "but I like cooking for you." Meeting his gaze
"That's not the point." His voice is firm, but gentle. "I don't want you to feel obligated. You should only do what makes you happy." He sighs, looking down at their intertwined hands.
"it makes me happy." she says lightly, her eyes meeting his with a nervous gaze.
He feels her fingers tremble slightly in his. "Then maybe I can learn to appreciate it more," he says quietly, his voice rough with emotion. "I'll try harder to show you how much your cooking means to me."
"Don't force yourself to do something you don't like." she says instantly. Her eyes fell down at her cuts.
"I won't." He lifts her hand to his lips and presses a kiss to her wounded finger. "But I promise to try. For you."
She winces lightly unable to meet his gaze. Her cheeks were getting warmer due to the gesture.
"You're not used to kindness, are you?" he teases gently, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "It might take some time getting used to."
She quickly lowers her gaze, swallowing her saliva.
"It's okay to accept kindness, you know." He places a finger under her chin, lifting her face so that she meets his gaze. "You deserve it."
She meets his gaze, getting lost.
"And I deserve you." His voice is soft, almost whispering. He leans in closer, his lips brushing against hers in a gentle kiss.
