Scented Claudia

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was heat. Not from the sunlight pouring in through the curtains, but from him.

From Raphael.

His chest was warm against my back, one arm slung lazily over my waist like he had no plans of letting go.

And for a moment, I hated how much i liked it.

My head was pounding lightly, probably from the wine.

My body ached in places i wasn't willing to name out loud, and my mind… my mind was still stuck somewhere between last night's humiliation and the way he kissed me outside like i was the only thing that mattered.

I shut my eyes again.

God, last night was a mess.

I was a mess.

He stirred behind me.

His nose brushed against the back of my neck, and i felt him inhale deeply, like he was trying to memorize the scent of my skin—even if i couldn't smell a damn thing.

"Don't move yet," he mumbled groggily, voice thick with sleep.

"Too late," I whispered. "I'm awake."

"Still… don't move."

I didn't.

I stayed there, letting him hold me like we hadn't nearly destroyed each other at a restaurant hours ago.

Like he hadn't looked me dead in the eyes and accused me of being jealous.

Like i hadn't dug into his past in front of an entire table.

I hated that we couldn't stay mad at each other for long.

"You okay?" he murmured after a beat.

"No," I replied, too tired to lie. "You?"

"Not really."

His arm tightened.

And i felt it, that crack.

That shift in the air between us.

The lingering sharpness from the night before dulled by the weight of exhaustion.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

He was quiet.

I bit my lip, staring at the light patterns on the wall. "Not just for the scene. For… letting it get that far. For turning it into something ugly."

Still no answer.

I turned in his arms slowly until we were face to face.

His eyes were open now, sleep still clinging to his lashes, but sharp underneath.

Watching me.

"Say something," I said.

His brows furrowed slightly. "You were hurt," he said quietly. "I get it."

"I was jealous."

"You had a right to be."

I blinked. "I did?"

"You're not crazy, Claudia." He sighed. "If the roles were reversed, and i was the one blindsided in a room full of people who remembered your past better than i did, I'd lose it too."

I blinked again, caught off-guard by his honesty.

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "But you can't shut down like that. You can't just drink your way through your anger and expect me to guess what you're feeling."

I looked away.

"And i should've told you about her," he added. "That's on me."

I turned back to him. "Why didn't you?"

He sighed again, eyes flicking to the ceiling.

"Because she didn't matter anymore. And I didn't want to give her space in our relationship. In my mind, she's over. You're… everything else."

My heart squeezed painfully. "You didn't want to talk about her, but you let her sit there and talk like i wasn't even beside you."

His jaw clenched. "I didn't expect them to say those things. I should've stepped in. I know that."

We stared at each other in silence.

His thumb brushed against the inside of my wrist soft, almost absentminded.

I didn't pull away.

"I hate it," I whispered. "When i feel like i'm the only one fighting for something."

"You're not," he said firmly. "I fight for us every day. I just... don't always know when i'm screwing up until you shut me out."

I let out a weak laugh. "Then maybe i should stop shutting down."

"Yeah," he said. "And maybe i should stop assuming you're fine just because you're quiet."

"Deal."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

I hated how handsome he looked in the morning.

Stupid bedhead and sleepy eyes and all.

"Do you still want to kill me?" he asked.

"A little," I admitted.

"Fair." He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"But don't leave me hanging like that again. I'd rather you yell at me than freeze me out."

"Yelling would've been more dignified than passive-aggressive wine drinking, I guess."

"And less likely to give you a headache."

I snorted. "Too late."

He grinned and pulled me close again, wrapping both arms around me tightly like he'd never let go.

I didn't protest.

I pressed my cheek to his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.

"I don't want to be that couple," I said softly.

"What couple?"

"The kind that has a blowout every time the past shows up."

"We won't be."

"You promise?"

"I promise." He kissed the top of my head. "Because next time, I'm tackling the issue before you reach for the wine."

I rolled my eyes. "You're so annoying."

"And yet…" he trailed off, smirking. "Here you are."

"Unfortunately."

He laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest.

And just like that, the tension broke.

I curled up beside him again, breathing him in, even if i couldn't smell him.

Even if my nose still betrayed me.

I didn't need scent to feel safe with him.

"Hey," I said after a while. "Don't be too charming this week."

"Why not?"

"Because the last thing i need is another woman approaching you in a café and touching your arm like she owns it."

He laughed harder this time. "You're never letting that go, are you?"

"Nope."

"Good. Because i liked jealous you."

I pinched his side.

"Okay, okay!" he said, chuckling. "Message received. I'll be as boring and unattractive as possible in public."

"Please do."

He grinned down at me. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Yeah," I said, sighing into his warmth. "But i'm your kind of insane."

"And that," he murmured, kissing my temple, "makes all the difference."