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You had been spending more and more time at Muriel’s hut, for days at a time. You realized you should probably start bringing some personal items with you, especially when you realized your next ‘time of the month’ was soon, and you would probably be at Muriel’s.
You put a small, discreet pouch inside of your large satchel, full of the things you’d need. Thankfully you did, because just a few hours after arriving at Muriel’s, it began. You excused yourself to be alone, taking care of what you needed to, then came back in, waving Muriel’s questions off. At least, until your cramps started.
They were delayed, only starting when the sun began to set. They weren’t too bad at first, but you felt them progressively get worse as time went on. Eventually, a really bad one came on, so bad you had to crouch yourself down, holding onto the wall.
“Are you alright?” Muriel’s concerned voice came from his place in front of the fire.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine… Just…” You took a few deep breaths, waiting for the aching pain to pass. “Cramps.” You finally got out. Muriel’s brows knit in concern, as he stood, making his way over to you.
“Did you eat something?” He asked, seeming oblivious to what the actual problem was. He leaned down, putting a hand on your back.
“N-No, it’s not that, it’s just…” You sighed, glancing up at him. “Once a month, this happens.” You didn’t exactly feel like giving a full length explanation of menstruation at the moment. Muriel seemed to have some realization, and he gave a single nod.
“Asra mentioned something like this might happen…” He said, putting an arm around you. “You should lay down, I can carry you.” You gave a nod, and Muriel picked you up, bringing you to the bed.
He carefully laid you down on your side, before moving away. You grabbed his hand, letting a whine escape your throat as another cramp began. “Would you… Lay down with me?” You asked. Muriel observed the pain on your face, then nodded, settling down beside you. You squeezed his hand. Muriel searched your face again.
“Is there anything else I could do?” He asked.
“Yeah, there is…” You said, before rolling over to face away from him, curling yourself into the fetal position. “Would you give me your hand?” You asked. He obliged, moving his hand to your front, resting it against your stomach. You moved it down to where the pain was most intense, pressing his warm hand there, taking a breath. The warmth felt good, though you definitely felt the cramps still getting worse. “Thank you…” You whispered. Muriel hummed, easing one of his arms under your head for you to rest on.
You lay like that a while, as your cramps steadily got worse. You laid your hand atop Muriel’s, squeezing it when another cramp started. At an especially bad one, you let out a sharp sigh from your nose. Muriel shifted slightly, whispering against your ear. “Are you okay?” He asked. You hummed, pressing yourself back into Muriel’s chest. You wanted something to distract you from the pain. You turned your head back to look at Muriel.
“Can you kiss me?” You asked. Muriel’s face darkened a few shades, but he gently pressed a kiss to your cheek, and you turned to meet him, capturing his lips between yours briefly, before facing away. “Could you keep doing that?” You asked. Muriel hesitated, but pressed a kiss to the back of your jaw, and another to your neck, before stopping. He seemed to sigh, before peppering soft, slow kisses against the back of your neck. You let out a breath, relaxing your tense muscles.
Muriel continued, pressing a firm kiss to the back of your shoulder. As he moved, you could feel the scratchy sensation of his stubble moving against your skin. You giggled softly. “I can feel your scratchy facial hair.” You paused. “It’s a good feeling, though.” He let out a hum, and gently nuzzling his cheek against your shoulder. “Ooh, keep doing that.” You urged.
Muriel let out what was probably a chuckle, and he continued to smoosh his face against the back of your bare shoulder, occasionally pressing kisses along your soft skin. He also pressed into your tummy more, massaging it gently. You sighed, gently patting his hand. Having him treat you so nicely- it wasn’t unusual at this point, but the amount of affection he was giving was. He was doing everything in his power to make you feel better, and thinking about it, well, it made you feel good.
You felt a small lump form in your throat, your emotions getting the better of you.
“I love you, you know?” You broke the comfortable silence. Muriel seemed to halt, his breath hitching. You gently squeezed his hand, but he still didn’t move for a long moment.
He finally broke the silence with a quiet, “...Are you sure?” You couldn’t help but sputter a laugh, turning your upper body as much as possible to face him.
“Of course I am!” You said, putting a hand on his cheek, kissing his lips firmly. “Why would I come around so much if I didn’t?” You pointed out. Muriel blushed, letting out a sigh into your hair, before pressing his cheek against yours lightly.
“I… Love you too.” He said, in a low rumble. You weren’t quite expecting that, actually. You knew he must like you- but, he said love . You couldn’t help but smile, and your eyes began to well up. Muriel looked concerned, but to reassure him, you took his lips in a long, passionate kiss, fully turning towards him. Your hands buried themselves in his hair, and you held him there. His hands were displaced from you moving, but found themselves holding you, kneading his fingers into your back.
You pulled back, looking him in the eyes, your own finally letting the tears out. “ I love you .” You whispered, again. “So, so much.” Muriel brought a hand to your face, wiping your tears away. Muriel was smiling softly, and he leaned in, pressing a kiss to the bridge of your nose.
You had almost completely forgotten your cramps for that moment, just being with Muriel. Kissing him, touching him, taking in the way he touched you more freely than usual. You knew another bad cramp would eventually arrive, but in that moment, you ignored it, just enjoying Muriel’s loving embrace.