Neither of them spoke.
Riya remained tucked against Druve, her face buried in his chest while his arms stayed firmly around her. His crying had slowly quietened, but his hold hadn't loosened. If anything, he seemed to hold her closer now, one arm wrapped around her while his other hand rested securely at the back of her head.
Riya didn't move away.
Her own arms remained around him. Every now and then her palm moved gently over his back, the same soothing motion she had used while he cried. His breathing was beginning to settle beneath her cheek, and she found herself relaxing along with it.
The fear from her nightmare was still there somewhere, hazy and distant, but within his arms she felt safe.
Completely safe.
Riya shifted closer and buried her face a little deeper into his chest.
Druve's arms tightened around her almost immediately.
She simply settled into them.
His warmth surrounded her, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear now. Riya closed her eyes and stayed there, strangely content to do nothing more than remain within his hold.
She had never felt this safe and comfortable in anyone's presence outside her family.
And that realization confused her.
Druve.
She barely knew him.
Yes, they had met and played together as children, but that had been years ago. Now they had known each other for only a few days.
Yet nothing about being this close to him felt uncomfortable.
Riya's fingers curled lightly into his shirt.
She liked him.
That much she couldn't deny anymore.
What she couldn't understand was how she could like someone this much when she barely knew him.
When she had opened her eyes and found him crying, even the fear still clinging to her from the nightmare hadn't mattered. Her heart had hurt seeing him like that. She hadn't wanted explanations. She had simply wanted him to stop hurting.
Even now, remembering the way he had cried made her heart ache.
Riya slowly lifted her face from his chest. The traces of tears still clung near his lashes, and the sight made her heart hurt all over again. Her hand rose almost immediately, her thumb brushing gently beneath his eye.
"Enough now."
She wiped the dampness from his other cheek too, her touch lingering as though she could somehow soothe the hurt out of him. Her fingers moved softly along his cheek before settling there.
Druve's hand slipped into her hair, drawing her a little closer, and his lips touched her forehead.
Riya froze.
The kiss was so small, so unexpected, that for a second she forgot what she had been doing. Her hand remained against his cheek, her eyes slightly widened.
Then he kissed her again.
A warm shiver rushed through her, raising goosebumps along her arms. Her toes curled beneath the blanket as heat crept quickly into her cheeks.
Riya blinked.
She had definitely not been prepared for that.
Another tiny kiss landed near her temple as his fingers moved gently through her hair.
Her cheeks grew warmer.
She lowered her eyes, suddenly unable to look at him properly. The hand resting against his cheek slipped down to his chest, her fingers gathering a little of his shirt between them.
When his lips touched her forehead once more, Riya's lashes closed on their own.
A soft warmth spread through her chest, and the smallest smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it.
Riya quickly tucked her face back against him.
Her smile only grew.
She buried herself a little deeper into his chest, cheeks far too warm to remain exposed. His hand continued moving slowly through her hair, and her fingers tightened around his shirt when another kiss landed on the top of her head.
God.
She pressed her lips together, but it did absolutely nothing to hide the smile against his chest.
A few moments ago she had been holding him because she couldn't bear seeing him cry. Now a few tiny kisses had her hiding against him with burning cheeks.
And she liked them.
That realization brought another flutter through her stomach.
Riya shifted closer, her arm slipping more comfortably around him. After a few seconds, she tilted her face slightly upward.
His lips brushed her forehead again.
Her eyes closed.
This time, she leaned into it.
Only slightly.
But enough for her to realise what she'd done the second his lips left her skin.
Her cheeks burned.
Riya immediately tucked herself back against his chest, biting her lower lip as the smile returned.
She stayed there for a moment, fingers absently playing with his shirt.
Then her head shifted again.
Just a little.
Her forehead tilted upward.
A tiny kiss touched it.
Riya's eyes closed, and the smile she had been trying so hard to hide spread across her face again.
She remained there for a few seconds before a thought slipped through all that warmth.
Riya's fingers stopped playing with his shirt.
She liked Druve.
That was obvious enough now.
But did he like her?
Her cheeks warmed again for an entirely different reason.
She stayed where she was for another moment before slowly lifting her face from his chest.
"Druve…"
Her fingers tightened slightly in his shirt as she looked at him.
"Do you like me?"
Whatever restraint Druve had left broke.
His hand caught her face and his mouth came down on hers before Riya could draw another breath.
The force of it stunned her.
His lips pressed hard against hers, almost rough after the tenderness of those tiny forehead kisses. His arm pulled her firmly against him while his hand slipped into her hair, holding her there as the kiss deepened without ever breaking.
Riya's eyes closed.
Her fingers fisted in his shirt.
His mouth moved slowly but insistently against hers, pressing, lingering, drawing her lower lip between his before letting it slip free beneath the continued movement of the kiss. The pressure left a tender sting behind, and Riya felt it every time his lips moved over the same sensitive skin.
Her breath escaped softly through her nose.
Heat rushed into her face.
She had been completely still from the shock, but the longer his mouth remained on hers, the more intensely she became aware of the kiss itself—the warmth, the pressure, the slight wetness between their lips, the ache beginning to spread through her mouth.
Her hand slid up to his shoulder.
When her lips parted beneath his, the kiss became more intimate without breaking. The brief brush of his tongue against hers sent a startling sensation through her, so sudden that her fingers dug into his shoulder and a shiver travelled straight down her body.
Her tongue tingled afterward.
Riya's heart pounded.
The initial roughness gradually became slower, but not gentler. He kept her close, his lips working over hers until they felt hot and tender, almost numb around the edges.
Somewhere inside that overwhelming warmth, Riya stopped merely holding on.
Her lips moved with his.
Tentatively at first.
The sensation of responding made her stomach flutter sharply. She leaned closer without thinking, her hand gripping his shoulder as she began following the slow movement of his mouth.
The moment she responded, the pressure increased.
Riya's breath caught, but their lips never separated. His arm drew her closer until she was completely against him, and she found herself meeting that intensity instead of shrinking from it.
Her lips ached now.
Her legs felt weak beneath her.
Still, she stayed pressed into the kiss, responding more naturally as the seconds passed, until she could no longer tell where her initial shock had ended and her own desire to remain there had begun.
Only then did the kiss begin to slow.
Not stop.
The pressure gradually eased while his lips remained against hers, lingering over her tender mouth until Riya's grip on his shoulder slowly relaxed.
His mouth finally left hers.
Riya inhaled.
Her eyes stayed closed for another second.
Her lips felt hot and sore, her tongue still faintly tingling, and her legs hadn't quite recovered from the strange weakness running through them.
When she finally opened her eyes, her cheeks were burning.
For a moment, she remained exactly where she was. Her fingers were still resting against his shoulder, her breathing not quite steady yet.
Then the question she had asked returned to her.
Do you like me?
Riya's face grew warmer.
She had expected an answer.
Not that.
Her gaze dropped, suddenly far too shy to remain where she was.
Before she could decide what to do with herself, Druve pulled her into his arms.
Riya went straight against his chest, her burning face disappearing there almost gratefully.
His arms wrapped completely around her.
Her fingers slowly curled back into his shirt as she tried to settle her breathing. Pressing her lips together only made her more aware of the tenderness left behind by his kiss, and another wave of heat rushed into her cheeks.
She buried herself deeper into his chest.
Then Druve spoke.
"You are my everything."
Riya went still.
Her fingers stopped against his shirt.
She had asked whether he liked her.
You are my everything.
Her arms slowly tightened around him.
Druve held her even closer, his face lowering into her hair.
"I'm never letting you leave my side ever again."
Riya stayed against him for a moment before slowly lifting her face.
"So…" She hesitated. "Does this mean we are…"
Her eyes dropped briefly.
"I mean… you are my boyfriend?"
"No."
Riya blinked.
A tiny kiss landed on her forehead.
"I'm your husband."
Her brows shot up.
"When did I—"
A kiss landed on her cheek.
Riya stopped.
Another touched her other cheek, then her temple.
The surprise on her face slowly gave way to a smile.
"Promise me."
Riya blinked again as another tiny kiss landed on her face.
"Promise me you'll never leave me again."
"Druve—"
"Promise me."
There was an almost childlike stubbornness in the demand.
Riya's smile softened.
"Okay."
His arms tightened around her.
"Promise."
Riya smiled as she tucked herself closer against him.
"I promise."
They stayed wrapped around each other after that, neither making any attempt to move. Riya lay comfortably against Druve, her head tucked beneath his chin and one arm resting around him.
For the first time in seven years, Druve felt complete.
Sruthi was in his arms.
He held her close, feeling her warmth against him and the quiet rise and fall of her breathing. After seven years of waiting for her to return, there was nothing missing from that moment.
His hand moved slowly over her hair.
"Are you okay?"
Riya's brows pulled together.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You woke up scared."
Riya was quiet.
"And the first thing you did was worry about me."
Her fingers stopped against his shirt.
"Why do you always put me first?" His arm tightened around her. "Can't you think about yourself?"
Riya frowned.
"When did I…?"
Her voice faded.
She couldn't finish the denial.
She didn't quite understand it herself, but something about his words felt true. The fear had still been inside her when she woke, yet the moment she saw Druve crying, it had stopped mattering.
Druve mattered more.
The thought came so naturally that it left her quiet.
Druve bent and pressed a small kiss to her forehead, his arms closing more securely around her.
"What are you scared of?"
Riya remained quiet for a moment, her fingers slowly curling into his shirt.
"I don't know…" Her voice dropped. "I'm scared, Druve. Really scared."
She pressed herself closer to him.
"I was all alone."
Druve's hold tightened immediately.
"I wanted you to come." Her fingers gripped his shirt a little harder. "I was all alone."
Her voice grew smaller.
"I kept calling you, but you weren't there."
Druve's chest tightened painfully around his next breath.
"I'm sorry."
Riya's brows pulled together.
"I'm sorry…" His voice strained. "I should've found you earlier."
Riya lifted her head and gave him a light smack on the side of his head.
Druve barely reacted. The guilt remained heavy in his eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Riya frowned at him. "It's just a nightmare."
His expression didn't change.
Riya's features softened. Her hand came up to his cheek.
"Aren't you here with me when I needed you the most?"
Druve went completely still.
Riya yawned softly, her eyes squeezing shut for a second before she settled against him again.
Druve looked at her for a moment.
"Sleep."
He gently eased her back onto the bed and lay down beside her. The moment he pulled her into his arms, Riya curled comfortably against him, her back resting against his chest as his arm settled around her.
Her eyes had almost closed when they opened again.
"Wait."
Druve looked at her.
"Aren't you going back to your room?"
Druve's arm tightened around her.
"I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again."
"Hmm…"
Her eyes started closing.
Then they snapped open.
Riya turned her head slightly.
A second passed.
She suddenly pushed herself upright.
"You're actually going to sleep here?"
"Yes."
Whatever sleep had been left in Riya vanished.
"My brother will kill you!"
Druve didn't even hesitate.
"Let's get married."
Riya stared at him.
Completely awake now.