Paulie x Reader Heartstrings

Blood Week

When you woke up you didn't need to look. You knew. 'It starts.'

Rolling out of bed, you managed to get to the bathroom and crawl into the shower. Sitting down, you let the hot water run over you. Standing made your stomach hurt too much at the moment.

When the cramps stopped long enough for you to get up, turn off the water, and dry off, you dressed quickly and that's when you realized that you had nothing to stop the blood from getting all over everything and staining anything you dared sit upon.

'Paulie. Paulie will help.' With that thought in your mind, you stuffed some toilet paper in your pants to stop the worst of it and waddled awkwardly to your bed. "Great," you muttered when you saw the sheets. "Looks like a killed someone. Peachy."

You dragged yourself to the door and put a hand on the doorknob, only then realizing that you'd forgotten something. Sighing in defeat, you gritted your teeth and walked back so you could pull on Paulie's jacket. You buried your face in the fabric and smiled. It still smelled like him.

Suddenly irrationally angry, you threw the door open so it crashed against the wall and stalked to the front door, growling quietly.

~~~
You limped up the front steps to Paulie's house, reaching up to knock on the door. When he opened it the sunlight made his blond hair glow, and those blue eyes put the sky to shame. He was so amazing, so beautiful, so perfect that you broke down in tears at the sight of him.

"(Y/N)!" He reached out for you and you collapsed into his arms, crying into his shoulder.

"P-Paulie!"

"What is it? What's wrong?!"

Hiccuping and sniffing, you said, "It's that time of month Paulie, I'm hurting."

"What does that- Oh. Um... Er... Come inside." He gently led you inside, sitting you down on the couch and running off to grab a blanket to wrap you in. "There, now you're a burrito."

"I feel a little better, actually."

He petted your hair, concern on his face.

"Um... Paulie? Can I ask you for something?"

"Anything."

"C-Can you go to the store and... Um... Get me the stuff in the feminine hygiene section?"

He blushed and you both looked away from each other. "Is it urgent?" He muttered.

You nodded. "It is."

He sighed. "Alright. Stay here, yeah? And don't raid the kitchen. Be patient, I'll make you something later."

He got up and walked toward the door, steeling himself for the trials ahead. Your voice stopped him before he could leave. "Paulie?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so good to me?"

He looked at you over his shoulder, a small smile on his face and love in his eyes. "Because you're my girl." He left before you could respond, locking the door behind him.

You snuggled deeper into the blankets, a blush of happiness spread across your cheeks.

~~~
Whining pathetically, you lay curled up on Paulie's couch, waiting for him to come back to you. When the door finally opened, you raised your head to see Paulie struggling through the front door with his arms full of shopping bags. "My gosh Paul', did you buy the whole isle?"

"No... I just... Got..." He dropped the bags near you and picked up one that was nearly empty. "Here you go, m'lady. What you requested."

"Then what's all this?" You took the bag, motioning towards the others.

In answer, Paulie grabbed one and emptied it onto the coffee table. Chocolate. Pounds and pounds of chocolate. He continued to dump out the bags, adding white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, salted caramel, raw cookie dough, doughnuts, and a chocolate pie to the pile.

"Paulie, how much did you spend?!"

"Doesn't matter." He leaned down and kissed your forehead. "You just take care of yourself, alright?"

You cried.

~~~
After another shower, you were snuggled up against Paulie's side. You opened your mouth and gave an expectant, "Ah!" Paulie fed you chocolate, gently rubbing your back.

Humming quietly in appreciation, you pressed your face against his chest. You giggled and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "We have the same coat now."

"Mmhmm." He offered you more candy.

You accepted it, happily settling down in his lap. You closed your eyes and listened to his heartbeat, the sound making you feel completely safe. So long as this heart beat, nothing could go wrong.

Looking up at him, at that beloved, scruffy face, you thought again if Paulie would be the person you married. The person you spent your life with. Thinking on it, you couldn't imagine it being anyone else.

"Hey, Paulie?"

"Yeah, (N/N)?"

You leaned forward and gently touched your lips to his. "Thank you."

There was so much pure joy in his eyes. "For what?"

"Taking care of me."

He gently laid his hand on your cheek, rubbing circles with his thumb. "How could I do anything else?"

You settled back down against his chest and he wrapped his arms around you, protecting you from the world.