He stood by the bed for a full minute.
Not moving.
Not breathing.
Then…
The mattress dipped.
He got in.
Sofia thought she might die from stillness.
He was so close.
Too close.
Warm. Real. Here.
She didn't move.
But her every nerve was screaming.
Her heart pounded against her ribs like a wild drum.
Jonathan lay beside her, arms stiff at first… but then…
He turned.
And so did she .
His eyes landed on her tear-stained cheeks.
Her damp lashes.
The little tremble in her shoulder as she breathed.
And something inside him broke.
He reached out.. trembling.
Touched her cheek.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
And he whispered..
A soft chuckle, broken and warm and almost unbelieving.
"You're real…" he murmured.
"You're really here…"
His fingers brushed away her dried tears, then moved gently to her hair..
That silky,dark brown, soft hair he had admired for months but never dared to touch.
And with a breath that felt like surrender, he pulled her into his arms.
Her head rested on his chest.
His chin rested atop her crown.
Her hands clutched his shirt.
His arms circled her completely, protectively, like a fortress.
And for the first time since the war… since the marriage… since the silence…
They both exhaled.
Sofia buried her face into his warmth.. finally inhaling that scent she'd memorized in secret.
And Jonathan closed his eyes.. smiling as her rose-vanilla-caramel scent enveloped him like peace.
He stroked her hair slowly… rhythmically…
And whispered, more to himself than anyone:
"I'm home now."
And just like that…
Two souls who had loved each other in silence…
Finally found each other in the quietest, most sacred moment.
Under the same blanket.
Under the same storm.
In the same heart.
The storm had passed.
At last, after a night of weeping clouds and thunderous skies, the world outside the manor lay peaceful and still beneath a pale gold dawn. The sky glowed with soft lavender and rose hues, and the icy air of early morning brushed gently against the frost-kissed windowpanes.
Inside the manor, all was still..
Except for a soft creak…
The careful, hesitant opening of double doors.
Two maids.. Elsa and Melody.. stepped into the grand bedroom of Lady Sofia, as they did every morning. It was tradition.
Their lady, ever gentle and elegant, adored watching both the sunrise and sunset. She said it reminded her that no matter what chaos the world held, the sun still rose and set with grace.
She never missed it.
But today…
As they opened the curtains slowly, the golden rays danced through the gauzy drapes and spilled over the bed.
And what they saw made them both GASP audibly.
There.. tangled in soft blankets, under the warm morning light..
Was Lady Sofia nestled sweetly in the arms of Commander Henderson Jonathan.
His arms were wrapped firmly around her waist.
Her head lay against his chest.
And his chin rested atop her hair, like it belonged there.
Their breathing calm.
And if you looked closely, you could see a trace of a sleepy smile on his lips.
"Oh… oh my goodness…" Melody whispered, clutching Elsa's sleeve.
"Did we… Did we just witness history??"
Elsa nodded silently, eyes wide.
Neither dared move.
But at that exact moment..
Jonathan stirred.
He blinked groggily at first, the light bothering his tired eyes. Then, slowly, reality settled in. The warmth. The softness. The delicate weight of someone in his arms.
He looked down.
Sofia.
Still fast asleep.
Still hugging him like a safe harbor.
And then..
He heard the gasp again.
He shot upright.
Like a battlefield alarm had just gone off.
His arms unwrapped in an instant.
The blanket slipped off his chest.
His heart thundered like enemy fire.
"W-What…?" he muttered hoarsely, immediately registering the presence of the maids.. frozen at the foot of the bed.
They stared. He stared back.
And in the next heartbeat..
Commander Jonathan stood up with storm-like fury, stormed out of the bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind him.
Sofia blinked awake just in time to see the edge of his sleep shirt disappearing.
She stretched gently, her eyes wide and lips softly pouting.
"Oh no…" she murmured, sitting up, hair a mess of silky waves, cheeks kissed with sleep.
"You startled him. He left before I could even say anything…"
The maids dropped to their knees, apologizing like they had committed royal treason.
"We're so, so sorry, Your Grace! We didn't mean to scare the Commander.. please forgive us!"
"We only meant to open the windows like every day.. he's never been in here before!"
But Sofia simply sat up, stretched her arms with a small, sleepy yawn… and gave the brightest smile the manor had ever seen.
Her eyes sparkled like the morning sun on dew-soaked roses.
"It's okay, ladies," she whispered, cheeks still blushing pink.
"Perhaps… we'll have many more nights like this one."
She stood up, holding her robe around her shoulders and humming a little tune as she walked to her wardrobe, leaving behind two maids collapsed in pure swoony chaos.
"She's glowing," Melody whispered.
"She's literally glowing."
"I didn't even know a human could look that happy after one night of cuddling."
Downstairs…
Chaos.
Commander Henderson Jonathan who was never late, never flustered, never anything less than composed.. had thrown on his uniform in record time, buttoned it wrong, and nearly knocked over a vase in the hallway as he marched toward the front door.
His pace was dangerously fast.
Guards stationed outside the manor barely had time to bow before he burst through the front steps, cape flapping in the icy morning wind.
And for the first time ever…
His head was down.
Not in battle.
Not in grief.
But in sheer, unbearable embarrassment.
His ears were red.
His cheeks were flushed.
He was literally steaming like a kettle.. IN A -5°C FROSTY MORNING.
One of his officers exchanged a nervous glance with another as they followed behind.
"Is… is the commander… sick?"
"He looks like he's burning up, but it's freezing."
"I think… I think he's blushing."
And sure enough..
As soon as Jonathan slid into the back seat of the military vehicle, he exhaled so loudly it fogged up the glass.
Then..
He buried his face in his hands.
Groaned softly.
And started fanning himself with his hand.
"What the hell was I thinking…" he mumbled, heart pounding.
"I hugged her. I SLEPT beside her."
He paused.
And then, quieter, softer:
"And it felt like… heaven."
Back inside the manor…
Sofia stood at the window, sipping her tea, eyes full of light.
She had just caught a glimpse of his coat flying as he rushed to his car, clearly trying to escape the scene of the emotional crime.
She giggled softly, hand covering her smile.
Then turned to her giggling maids and winked.
"I think," she said with playful mischief, "our brave commander is a little shy."
They all laughed.
The storm was gone.
And in its place..
Something new had begun to bloom.
Not quite open love.
Not yet.
But the beginning of warmth.
And in a cold, war-struck world..
That was everything.