Scented Claudia

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the room.

I stirred awake, feeling a familiar warmth beside me.

For a moment, I kept my eyes closed, savoring the comforting presence of Raphael.

The memory of last night lingered in my body, making me smile.

But as i reached out, I felt nothing but empty space.

I opened my eyes, he was gone.

The faint sound of movement from the kitchen caught my attention.

Curious, I slipped out of bed, grabbed my robe, and made my way toward the delicious aroma wafting through the air.

Wait—delicious?

I frowned.

It was a habit now, a force of nature, I inhaled deeply, but as expected... nothing.

The air was empty to me, no matter how good it looked.

Still, I followed the smell i couldn't experience, stopping at the doorway.

There he was.

Raphael stood by the stove, shirtless, his messy morning hair making him look effortlessly attractive.

He flipped pancakes with ease, completely immersed in what he was doing.

"You're cooking," I teased, leaning against the counter with a smirk.

He turned to look at me, a knowing smile forming on his lips. "Good morning, love."

"Morning," I said, walking toward him.

"What's the occasion?"

He shrugged. "Felt like making something special."

I tilted my head. "Not that i don't appreciate it, but... you do know i won't be able to smell any of it, right?"

His smile softened as he wiped his hands on a towel. "I know. But that doesn't mean you can't taste it."

I sighed playfully. "What if you put too much salt?"

"Then you'll have to trust me," he said, placing a plate of golden pancakes and eggs in front of me.

I took a forkful, chewing slowly. "Hmm... not bad, Dr. Raphael. You surprise me every day."

He sat across from me, watching me eat with satisfaction. "Glad to know my cooking skills are still decent."

We ate in comfortable silence until he spoke again.

"We're having a reunion with my college friends" he said, stirring his coffee. "But this time, everyone's bringing their partners."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And?"

He smirked. "And i want you to come with me."

I paused. "You sure? I mean, what if they don't like me?"

He reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. "Claudia, they don't have to like you. I love you. That's enough."

His words sent a warmth through me.

I smiled, squeezing his hand. "Then let's go."

His grin widened. "Good. It's this Saturday. I'll let them know we're coming."

As i continued eating, I tried not to think about how i couldn't even appreciate the scent of the food in front of me.

But one thing was for sure, this weekend, I was going to make sure Raphael would be proud to have me by his side.

Since Raphael had no work today, we decided to visit a psychiatrist to finally understand why he could only sleep when i was beside him.

"I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do," Raphael muttered as he drove, one hand resting on the wheel while the other absentmindedly played with my fingers. "But it's worth a shot."

I nodded. "Yeah, we need to figure this out. You can't just rely on me forever to fall asleep."

He smirked, glancing at me. "Why not? I like having you beside me every night."

I rolled my eyes but felt a warmth spread through my chest.

-

When we arrived at the clinic, we checked in and waited for our turn.

I could see the slight tension in Raphael's posture, the way his fingers tapped against his knee.

"Nervous?" I asked.

He exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "Not really. Just... curious about what they'll say."

Finally, his name was called, and we entered the psychiatrist's office.

The doctor, a middle-aged man with kind eyes, gestured for us to sit. "Dr. Raphael, what brings you here today?"

Raphael glanced at me before speaking. "I have chronic insomnia. It's been a problem for years. But for some reason, I can only sleep when i'm next to her." He gestured toward me.

The doctor leaned forward, intrigued. "That's interesting. Have you always had trouble sleeping?"

Raphael nodded. "Yes. Since high school, actually."

The psychiatrist asked more questions, diving into Raphael's past, his stress levels, and even his relationship with me.

Then, he looked thoughtful. "This could be psychological conditioning. Your body and mind may have associated Claudia with safety and relaxation, which is why you can only fall asleep when she's there."

Raphael frowned. "So you're saying I've trained myself to sleep only when she's beside me?"

The doctor nodded. "In a way, yes. It's possible that her presence soothes your subconscious. Does she have any specific habits when you sleep? Does she hum, breathe a certain way, or have a particular warmth?"

Raphael glanced at me, his gaze softening. "She always hugs me. and... she smells nice."

I blinked in surprise. "But i can't even smell anything."

The doctor chuckled. "That doesn't mean others can't smell you. Maybe your scent has become a signal for his body to relax."

Raphael exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So what do i do? Just accept that i need my wife to sleep forever?"

The doctor smiled. "Yes."

After the session, we stepped out of the clinic, the sun shining down on us.

"So," I teased, nudging him. "What's the verdict? Am i your personal sleeping pill?"

He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. "Looks like it. And i don't mind one bit."

I laughed, leaning into him.

Maybe this wasn't the answer we expected, but at least now we knew, Raphael couldn't sleep without me.

-

We went to a café first, one of those cozy spots with bookshelves and soft jazz playing in the background.

Raphael ordered our drinks while i found a nice seat by the window.

As i watched him at the counter, I noticed something, a women were staring at him.

And not just casual glances.

They were checking him out.

I narrowed my eyes. Seriously?

Just as i predicted, a woman probably in her late twenties, dressed in a form-fitting dress, approached him.

She smiled sweetly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice dripping with curiosity. "Aren't you Dr. Raphael Gutierrez? I think i've seen you in the hospital before."

Raphael, being the polite guy that he was, nodded with a small smile. "Yes, that's me."

"Oh wow," she giggled, touching his arm.

"You're quite popular there. Some of my friends are nurses, and they always talk about you."

I clenched my jaw.

Oh, do they now?

Another woman joined her, this time with an excited look on her face. "Oh my God, you're the doctor who performed that complex surgery last month, right? You're so impressive!"

Raphael laughed awkwardly. "I was just doing my job."

I decided i'd seen enough.

Standing up, I made my way over, slipping my arm through Raphael's and resting my head against his shoulder. "Love, what's taking so long?" I said sweetly, making sure my tone carried just a hint of possessiveness.

Both women glanced at me, eyes flicking between me and Raphael.

"Oh," one of them muttered, clearly realizing i was his wife.

Raphael, to his credit, played along.

He kissed my temple and handed me my drink. "Sorry, baby. Just got caught up in a little conversation."

The women awkwardly laughed, muttered a quick goodbye, and walked off.

I smirked at Raphael. "You have fans."

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I swear, I wasn't even doing anything."

I sipped my drink. "I know. But you can't blame them. Handsome doctor with a heart of gold? Of course they'd throw themselves at you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous?"

I scoffed. "No."

His lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Then why did you come over and act like a possessive wife?"

I sipped my drink again. "I was just making sure they knew their place."

Raphael chuckled, wrapping an arm around me. "I like it when you get jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

After spending the afternoon just wandering around the city, eating street food, and going to a bookstore, we finally decided to head home.

-

The moment we stepped inside, Raphael pulled me into his arms.

"Today was nice," he murmured against my hair. "I wish we had more days like this."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Then let's make time for it. No matter how busy we get."

He pulled back slightly, looking down at me with an unreadable expression. "I mean it, Claudia. Being with you... it makes everything better."

My heart skipped a beat.

I had no words.

So instead, I kissed him.

It started slow, gentle. But soon, the intensity grew.

He lifted me effortlessly, carrying me to the bedroom as our lips stayed locked.

As he laid me down, he whispered, "Tonight, let me show you just how much I love you."

And with that, the world faded away.