Dangerous Desires

35

The early morning sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with a soft, warm glow. Mark opened his eyes slowly, his gaze settling on me, still asleep in his arms. He smiled softly, his heart swelling with tenderness at the sight of me so peaceful and vulnerable in his embrace.

He remained still for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of my body against his, the rhythmic rise and fall of my breathing a comfort to his senses. Gently, his hand slowly slid up to brush a strand of hair off my face, his touch feather-light to not wake me.

Mark silently watched me for a few more minutes, his eyes drinking in the sight of me at my most vulnerable. He marvelled at the trust and vulnerability I showed by sleeping in his arms, and it filled him with a sense of protectiveness and adoration.

Finally, he carefully shifted slightly, adjusting his position so that he wouldn't accidentally wake me up. His hand returned to my hair, and he softly started stroking it once more, the motion slow and soothing.

He continued this gentle action, his eyes still fixed on my face, watching as my face relaxed further under his touch. He knew that I would probably wake up soon and he silently dreaded the moment when I had to leave the comfort of his embrace.

But for now, he decided to savour the moment while it lasted, his hand continuing to gently stroke my hair, his body pressed against mine. He could feel the warmth of my body against his and it filled him with a sense of contentment and peace.

After a few more moments, Mark reluctantly decided it was time to wake me up. He leaned in and softly whispered my name, his voice a gentle murmur in the quiet room. "Hey, it's time to wake up," he said, his hand still stroking my hair.

As I slowly stirred, Mark chuckled softly, feeling my head move against the crook of his neck. He continued to softly stroke my hair, his fingers raking through the silky strands. "Rise and shine," he teased, his voice affectionate.

"What time is it?" I muttered tiredly.

Mark glanced at the clock, his eyes quickly taking in the time. "It's around 7," he replied, his voice still soft and gentle. "You slept a lot longer than I expected."

He continued stroking my hair, his fingers running through the silken strands with an easy familiarity. "I guess you really needed the rest," he added gently.

"It felt like I did," I said quietly.

Mark nodded, silently agreeing. He could see the exhaustion that still clung to my features, despite the good night's sleep. He continued stroking my hair, his fingers moving in slow, soothing circles.

"You looked so peaceful while you slept," he murmured, his voice filled with tenderness. "Like all your worries were gone, even if just for a few hours."

"I needed that sleep so much, I have been restless so many nights," I replied.

Mark's expression softened, his heart panging with sympathy. "I can tell," he said gently. "You look exhausted. But you need to take care of yourself, both physically and emotionally."

He paused, his fingers still gently stroking my hair. "Have you been eating properly?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah, I have," I nodded.

Mark's expression eased a little, reassured by my reply. "Okay, that's good," he said, his voice still gentle. "You need to make sure you're eating balanced meals, and staying hydrated, especially given everything you're going through right now."

He paused, his fingers still working their way through my hair. "And what about emotionally?" he asked quietly. "How are you holding up?"

"It hasn't hit me again, so maybe I'll be okay,".

Mark nodded, his eyes carefully studying my face. "That's good," he said softly. "But don't forget, it's okay to not be okay sometimes. You don't have to be strong all the time."

He paused for a moment, his hand resting gently on my head. "It's okay to cry, to let your feelings out," he continued quietly. "Emotions aren't something that can be bottled up forever, they need to be expressed and processed to be healthy."

"I know and I'm not bottling them up, I just don't want to cry every day,".

Mark nodded, understanding your perspective. "I know," he acknowledged gently. "And that's a good attitude. But don't be afraid to cry when you need to. Crying is a natural response to pain and sadness. It helps relieve emotional tension and can be very cathartic."

"And don't underestimate the power of vulnerability," he added softly. "When you allow yourself to be vulnerable and express your emotions, it can be a powerful catalyst for connection and healing."

He paused, his fingers still playing with my hair. "And remember, you don't have to face any of this alone," he said quietly. "I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

I nodded "Don't you have another meeting with everyone again today?" I asked softly.

Mark sighed quietly, reluctantly acknowledging the truth of my words. "Yes, I do," he confirmed, his voice tinged with regret. "There's some business we need to discuss and I can't skip out on it."

"Can I come? Or is it too early?"

Mark looked a bit surprised by the request, not expecting me to want to join the meeting. "You want to come with me?" he repeated, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and happiness.

I nodded "I want to see how Arsenio is doing and how Tenebroso is, he hasn't been away from me at all," I said gently.

Mark nodded, understanding my concern for Tenebroso. "Alright," he agreed, his voice warm with approval. "You can come with me to the meeting. I think it might be good for you to see how he's doing."

"But you'll need to be prepared for anything," he warned gently. "This meeting might touch on some difficult topics, and there may be some heated discussions. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah, I dealt with Arsenio since I was 16. I can handle it,".

Mark chuckled softly, amused by my confident response. "Okay, I believe you," he said, his voice filled with affection. "But if at any point it gets too much, just let me know and we'll step out for a breather."