Maya woke slowly, drifting back to consciousness through the warmth of the arms wrapped around her.
For a few seconds, she remained perfectly still, her mind not quite ready to separate the remnants of sleep from the quiet comfort surrounding her.
Then she felt the steady rise and fall of Rege's chest against her back, the warmth of his hand resting securely around her waist, and the familiar scent that had gradually become one of her favourite things about being close to him.
A smile crept across her face.
She was in Rege's arms.
Again.
There was something almost ridiculous about how much she loved waking up like this. No matter how many times it happened, the simple discovery that he was holding her never seemed to lose its sweetness.
Maya carefully lifted his arm, intending to slip out of his embrace without disturbing him.
She had barely moved when his hold loosened.
Rege stirred behind her.
Maya abandoned her escape.
Instead, she turned onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow, resting her cheek against her palm as she watched him wake.
His brow furrowed faintly before his eyes opened.
For a moment, he looked disoriented, his gaze unfocused as he adjusted to the dim light filtering through the curtains. Then his eyes found hers.
Maya smiled.
Rege looked at her for a second.
And then he smiled too.
It happened almost instinctively, the corners of his mouth lifting before he appeared to give the expression any thought at all.
Maya's smile widened immediately.
God.
That smile.
She was never going to get used to it.
There was something unfair about how effortlessly he could undo her composure with such a simple expression. His aquamarine eyes were still softened by sleep, his dark hair slightly dishevelled against the pillow, and the faint smile on his face made him look so unguarded that she briefly forgot what she had intended to say.
She simply stared.
Rege's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"What?"
Maya shook her head, unable to suppress her grin.
"Nothing."
He regarded her for another moment, evidently unconvinced, but made no attempt to question her further.
That only made her smile harder.
She could spend an unreasonable amount of time looking at this man.
Unfortunately, her stomach had other plans.
A loud growl interrupted the quiet between them.
Maya froze.
Rege blinked.
For one mortifying second, neither of them moved.
Then Maya pressed a hand against her stomach and sat up straight, her lips forming a small, offended pout.
"Oh, come on."
Rege pushed himself up beside her.
His expression changed immediately as he glanced at her face, then at the hand resting over her stomach.
"What's wrong?"
The concern in his voice was so immediate that Maya turned toward him, her embarrassment giving way to tenderness.
She giggled.
"It's nothing. I'm just hungry."
Rege studied her for another second, as though confirming that she was genuinely fine.
Then his shoulders relaxed.
Maya stared at him.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"There was no need for it to announce it to the entire room."
Maya gasped softly.
"Excuse me? My stomach has every right to express itself."
"Of course."
"Don't sound so unconvinced."
Rege's mouth twitched.
Maya narrowed her eyes at him, but the effect was ruined by the laughter bubbling up in her throat.
He watched her for a moment before reaching for her hand.
"Come on."
She looked down at their joined hands.
"Where are we going?"
"To get you something to eat."
Maya's face brightened.
She took his hand, and Rege rose from the bed before drawing her gently to her feet. The moment she was standing, his other arm settled around her waist, bringing her close enough that she instinctively placed both hands on his shoulders.
She looked up at him.
He looked down at her.
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
Maya's fingers curled lightly against the fabric of his shirt.
Then she giggled.
Rege's gaze softened.
Maya shook her head, her long dirty blonde hair slipping over one shoulder.
"I'm admiring you."
His eyebrows rose.
"Admiring me?"
"Very much."
Rege looked at her as though he had no idea what to do with that information.
Maya beamed.
She loved that too.
He didn't need to say anything particularly romantic. Sometimes, the smallest changes in his expression told her more than a long speech ever could.
Rege pressed a brief kiss to her forehead before guiding her toward the door.
And Maya followed him, still smiling.
Outside his bedroom, the Hastings estate had settled into the quiet that followed a long day. The corridor lights cast a muted golden glow over the walls, and the house seemed almost suspended in the stillness of the late night. Somewhere farther down the hall, the faint hum of the heating system was the only sound.
Their footsteps were soft against the floor.
Maya leaned into Rege as they walked, her hand tucked comfortably into his.
She had no particular destination in mind beyond wherever he was taking her.
For once, that was enough.
The kitchen was dim when they entered.
A soft light above the counter illuminated the polished surfaces, while the windows reflected the room's warm glow against the darkness outside. The estate was quiet, its other occupants presumably asleep, and the absence of the usual daytime activity made the kitchen feel strangely private.
Rege released Maya's hand only long enough to switch on another light.
She immediately wandered toward the refrigerator, peering inside with exaggerated concentration.
"What do we have?"
"Dinner."
Maya turned to him.
"That's a very broad description."
"There's food in the containers."
She stared at him.
"Rege."
He looked at her calmly.
She pressed her lips together, fighting a smile.
"You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
He moved past her to retrieve the leftovers, and Maya watched him with quiet amusement as he placed the containers on the counter.
There was something comforting about seeing him like this.
Not the man who could silence an entire room with a look. Not the man whose presence made people measure their words carefully. Just Rege, standing in a quiet kitchen in the middle of the night, heating food because his girlfriend was hungry.
The thought warmed her more than she expected.
He prepared their plates, checking the food before setting everything on the counter. Maya helped him carry them to the small dining area, where they settled beside each other rather than across from one another.
She had barely taken her first bite when she looked up at him.
"This is good."
Rege glanced at her plate.
"It's yesterday's dinner."
"And?"
"Nothing."
"Exactly."
His lips twitched.
Maya continued eating, entirely untroubled by the fact that she was enjoying leftovers at an hour when most sensible people would have been asleep.
She told him about something she had recently read, then interrupted herself to complain about a character whose decisions had offended her personally. Rege listened, occasionally asking a question or offering a brief observation that sent her into another fit of laughter.
He didn't speak as much as she did.
He rarely needed to.
Maya had begun to understand that his silences were not always empty. Sometimes he was listening. Sometimes he was thinking. Sometimes he simply preferred to let her fill the room with her voice.
And she liked that he let her.
She didn't feel the need to make every silence disappear.
At one point, she caught him watching her over his glass.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Maya narrowed her eyes.
"You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"Looking at me like you have something to say."
Rege lowered his glass.
"Perhaps I do."
Her expression softened with curiosity.
"What is it?"
He held her gaze for a moment.
Then he reached across the small space between them and brushed a crumb from the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
"Eat your food, Krasota."
Maya stared at him.
He returned to his meal as though nothing had happened.
She slowly leaned back in her chair.
"Unbelievable."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
Maya shook her head, smiling to herself, and returned to her food.
She was beginning to suspect that Rege enjoyed leaving her speechless more than he would ever admit.
By the time they finished, her earlier hunger had been thoroughly satisfied. She pushed her plate away and leaned back, exhaling contentedly.
Rege glanced at her.
"Better?"
Maya nodded solemnly.
"Much better. I can now resume being a pleasant person."
"Were you unpleasant before?"
"Extremely."
"I see."
"You're supposed to disagree."
"Why would I lie?"
Maya burst out laughing.
He smiled faintly, and she watched him gather their plates before rising.
"I'll help you," she offered.
"Stay there."
"Rege—"
"No."
He carried the dishes to the sink.
Maya followed anyway.
She settled beside him while he turned on the tap, the sound of running water filling the otherwise silent kitchen. He rolled his sleeves up and began washing the dishes, moving with the same quiet efficiency he seemed to bring to everything.
Maya rested her hip against the counter and watched him.
It was an oddly intimate thing, standing beside someone while they washed plates after a meal neither of them had planned to share.
There were no flowers arranged around them, no elaborate feast, no carefully prepared surprises. Just warm water, a few dishes, and Rege standing close enough that she could brush against his arm whenever she moved.
She liked this version of happiness.
The ordinary kind.
The kind that didn't demand an audience.
Rege glanced sideways at her.
Maya shrugged.
He shook his head.
Maya smiled to herself.
She could have spent the entire night there.