Affliction | ✓

ii | her | 2

autumn, 2016

she exhales as she exits the shop. so, that had just happened. it feels strange to see him again but she thinks she handled it well. proved it to him that she had definitely made it out alive, had survived him. but she had hidden her shaking fingers in her pocket, had hidden her trembling lips with ease: after months of practicing in the mirror so people didn't know she was broken. she had felt terrified seeing him again, it was absolutely nerve-racking and she was so busy monitoring her movements to see if he was doing alright. Of fucking course he would be doing alright, he hurt you. why wouldn't he be doing alright?

she shucks a quick breath in, trying to even out her breathing and the erratic thrum of her heart.

she picks her phone up, breathing heavily and dials a contact named babie❤️, elio picks up on the first ring.

"what's up, baby?" a calm low timbred voice answers the phone and she's immediately flooded with a sense of relief.

"hi, elio, I uh- just wanted to know when you're coming home." she sounds shaky and elio seems to pick up on it.

"what's wrong?" he asks instantly. "why am I detecting a shift in my baby's voice?"

"just a bad day," she lies. "need some cuddles and your big muscular body."

"that can be easily arranged." he chuckled, lowly. "see you at home in an hour tops?"

"sounds like heaven."

"bye, babe." she hangs up but not before telling him she loves him.

---

she's drifting in and out of sleep when she hears the front door open signalling elio's arrival.

"hey," he calls softly as his long fingers caresses her cheek, she breathes in relief.

"hi," she whispers back. she opens her eyes to see elio crouched down in front of her. "you took too long." she whines.

he smiles, "sorry, got held up at that old geezer's office. won't happen again."

"it's okay," she mumbles, sleepily. "you don't have to explain," she widens her arms. "hug me?" she asks.

elio complies, as he always does. the angle is a bit awkward but his large frame had always been a comfort for her. she snuggles closer to him inhaling his musky cologne.

"love you," she mumbles. she's sleepy.

she doesn't hear his reply in her tired haze but she's sure he loves her back.

----

she wakes up to the smell of breakfast in the air. she pads across the room to see elio setting the table up, his chocolate brown hair a mess atop his head.

"hello, my love. how was thine sleep?" he asks, dramatically. "I have prepared thy a feast worth thousand men!"

she rolls her eyes, used to his crazy antics. she wraps her limbs around his body and he picks her up with ease and it always surprises her; how he can carry her around so easily.

"hey," he whispers, kissing the shell of her ear. "you didn't tell me what was bothering you last night."

oh. her heart beats faster. should I tell him? he has been through the worst of it all.