Vulnerability

"Everyone can be married without looking married," Kanalaa retorted.

Alistair chuckled with how Kanalaa answers him. He really loves seeing this side of her.

"Love, come on! It was just a dream," he answered playfully with a grin lingering on his face.

Kanalaa rolled her eyes before rebatting, "Yeah, and a dream can mean something."

Truth is, she trust Alistair. After all the reassurance, words, and actions he gave, there's no way she will ever doubt his intentions. However, with the baggage she has, she cannot help but overthink sometimes. This time, she wasn't even planning on bringing up the dream but somehow it made it way out. Thankfully, Alistair didn't take it to his heart.

Alistair shrugged, "Well, they said, dreams are actually the opposite of reality. It means, your dream wasn't true," he retaliated trying to defend himself lightly. After all his efforts, he doesn't want to be misunderstood with just mere dream despite knowing full well that Kanalaa's not the shallow type of a person.

Kanalaa stood firmly on her place giving Alistair a very serious stare straight onto his eyes, diving into his soul before muttering the words that could reassure her time and time again, "Don't ever try in your lifetime while you're with me doing that. I promise you, Alistair, I will go to depths of hell just to burn your soul."

Seeing the seriousness in her whole being, Alistair can't help but sigh within him questioning how broken Kanalaa could be that no matter how much he reassures her, she needs more. To Alistair, reassuring Kanalaa is nothing, it's just like snapping a finger, easy and brief. However, the real issue is his concern on her being. He knows she is scarred but it is a big question mark to him how much. Not that he thinks it's Kanalaa's fault or the likes but he wishes for her to be in a far better position with his presence in her life.

He pulled her, wrapping her into his warm arms while uttering, "I won't, okay? It's just you, from the start and hopefully until the end. It was just a bad dream."

"Okay, I'm sorry. It just made me irritated when I remembered it but I wasn't that serious about it. You know what, it felt so real, the anger, the feeling of betrayal, and how much I wanted to hurt you physically and with words just to release the suffocating feeling I had in my chest. The heaviness, it manifested physically," she confessed, her face buried on the crook of his neck.

To be vulnerable is not something she's good at but with Alistair, she's at peace that she can be as honest as she wants without judgement from him. Even without his words, his mere touch brings comfort and warmth – words doesn't have to be spoken.

Alistair hushed her, "It's fine. It will be fine. Remember, it's just you. Your nightmares are just nightmares. They are not your reality. I will always be here. Speak every worries you have with me. I may not be the best with words but, I always got you."

He's right, even Kanalaa knows that. Alistairs actions and gestures speak the most more than his words, nothing to second guess.

She nodded, barely uttering the words, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much you mean to me."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm your man and I will always seek your best interest. You mean so much to me, too." Again, she nodded in acknowledgement of Alistair's words.

"So, we're okay now? Let's no longer spoil our vacation with that forsaken dream. Hmm?" He asked seriously yet with warmth.

"How about we enjoy our breakfast now? I'm pretty sure your energy was drained with our physical activity last night," he added, accompanied with a chuckle, teasing Kanalaa.

Her face flushed with the memory of last night suddenly playing in her head. 'Why am I even embarassed when I'm old enough?' she asked to herself in her mind.

"Of course! My stomach is growling," she answered, turning her back to head to the dining.

"The breakfast is on the front porch!" Alistair's half scream to Kanalaa who's already meters away from him.

Upon reaching the porch, Kanalaa saw the set up table. On the table laid the typical westerner breakfast food with different drinks: water, coffee, and juice. Nothing extraordinary on the table aside from the plated desert which is Kanalaa's favorite, berries cheesecake. It's mot extraordinary but not typical to see on the breakfast table unless, requested.

Right before Kanalaa can chew her first bite, Alistair came. He rested his hands on her shoulder blades then leaned to give her a peck on the cheek. Alistair found her adorable for the way she treated the food in front of her, the appreciative Kanalaa he knows.

Kanalaa looked at him with the same admiration and a vibrant lip-closed smile then, gestured at him to sit and eat. She happily placed food she knows Alistair enjoys the most before digging her own meal. The two, as if knowing each other's thoughts, shared a meal in a silent yet not awkward manner.

"Did you fill yourself enough?" Alistair asked upon seeing Kanalaa's wrapping up.

"Ah-uh," she answered with a nod like a happy kid.

"What should we do today?" Kanalaa asks with a twinkle in her eyes, radiating excitement with the thought of spending their day together.

"How about we stay in bed?" Alistair suggests, his tone laced with a hint of seduction, accompanied by a playful wink.

"How about no?" Kanalaa counters, raising an eyebrow teasingly, her expression daring Alistair to challenge her further.

"How about you say yes to this man?" Alistair retorts, his voice teasing and affectionate as he leans in closer to Kanalaa, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"How about control your urges? Is this a honeymoon?" Kanalaa chuckles, reaching out to his forearms wrapped around her body to at least have a bit of control to whatever naughtiness is forming in Alistair's mind.

"Oh well, with you, everyday can be a honeymoon," he replied with a warm smile, his gaze softening as he gazes into Kanalaa's eyes, his love evident in his expression but, Kanalaa knows something is up.

"You– you pervert!" Kanalaa shrieked when Alistair grabbed her butt with his two hands like a bread, she slapped the arm embracing her but her laughter bubbling up with undeniable affection.

"Only for Kanalaa Reese," Alistair responds with a tender smile, his voice filled with adoration as he brushes a stray strand of hair from Kanalaa's face, his gesture filled with affection and love.

***

A/N: hear me out. i've been occupied with rosie's game (the book im reading) and online games ofc. i unintentionally neglected my story again hehe im trying my best to finish the book im reading as soon as i can so i can fully focus here. anywayyy, just a bit of my thought, while reading the dukes masked wife, ive been having a lot of ideas about this story (totally not related to the tdmw) but it is too far away timeline. i hope i wont lose that creativity huhu