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You were curled up like a shrimp on the couch in your living room, thoroughly in pain, when there was a loud knock at the door.
Shit. Shane. In your search for relief from your period cramps, you’d gotten distracted and hadn’t realized that an hour had slipped by as you lay there on your couch in misery. Shane was supposed to come over to help you set up your coop for the chicks you’d be getting next week, and now you were, well, indisposed at best and incapable of moving at worst.
Another knock sounded, rattling the glass panes of the ancient red door to your grandfather’s cabin, and you groaned as you peeled yourself off the couch and shuffled to answer it.
“Hi,” you said as you let the door slowly creep open.
Shane’s attention was elsewhere, but the moment he laid eyes on you, his dark eyebrows shot up. “Whoa. Are you sick? I can come back another—”
“No, no,” you said, shaking your head. The movement sent your world spinning, and you clutched the door to keep yourself upright. “Just give me a minute to get my shoes on. You can come in.”
Shane gave you a dubious look, but entered your cabin as you stepped aside and held the door for him. “I was at the feed store earlier, and I grabbed you some stuff for the chicks. Uh, just some food and bedding.”
Despite the pain gnawing at your lower belly, you smiled. He was beginning to show you another, softer side of him, and you loved every second of it. “You didn’t have to do that, Shane. That’s so sweet of you.”
His cheeks pinkened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “No, but I wanted to. Consider it a thank you for everything.”
“You know you don’t owe me anything.” You held his gaze for a fleeting moment, then grabbed your barn boots and headed for the couch, where you sat with a dramatic groan that escaped your mouth by accident.
“You makin’ old man noises now? Throw your back out or something?” Shane teased, chuckling and shaking his head. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and Yoba, you wanted to kiss the smirk off his face. If he’d let you. You had no idea where you stood, aside from the endless ribbing and joking back and forth.
Before you could retort with some witty remark, a wave of pain and nausea hit you like a rogue wave, and you pinched your eyes shut against the onslaught, breathing through it. You really needed to find the damn ibuprofen.
“You’re sure you’re good? Because whatever that was doesn’t look good.”
You sighed, not really wanting to explain that it felt like your uterus was going to fall out your ass or burrow out through your stomach. “Period cramps,” you mumbled, burying your face in your hands.
“If you’re not feeling well, this can wait. Why don’t you just rest today?” he asked, his voice a low hum.
The cushion next to you dipped under his weight as he sat down, and you were enveloped in warmth as he tugged you closer and wrapped you in a bear hug. When his large, rough hand found your lower back, rubbing in slow circles, you melted into his embrace. It felt so good you were afraid you might start purring like a damn cat. He’d never touched you before, and he was surprisingly warm and gentle, and you didn’t want him to stop.
“Do you have a heating pad or a hot water bottle or something?” he asked.
“Somewhere. Might be under the bathroom sink.”
“Okay. You sit tight, and I’ll be right back.”
Shane was up and across the room in a heartbeat, disappearing into your bathroom, and he reappeared in the doorway just as quickly, shaking your comically large hot water bottle in its fuzzy yellow protective pouch so it made a wobbly rubber sound. “Found it. Give me a minute to fill it. You need anything else?” He tilted his head, hooded dark green eyes roving over you with affection.
“Yeah, um, I was about to grab some pain meds before I answered the door. They’re in the medicine cabinet.”
Shane gave you a firm nod. “On it,” he said, and disappeared again.
The bathroom tap turned on, and you smiled to yourself at the familiar squeak of your medicine cabinet and the rattle of the blessed ibuprofen bottle.
You peered up at Shane from the couch as he approached you some minutes later and slid beside you with a shy smile. “How many?” he asked, holding up the ibuprofen.
“Three,” you grunted through another cramp that was so intense it made you question if you were in labor with some cryptic pregnancy via immaculate conception.
Shane’s brows drew together, and he quickly shook out three tablets into your hand and slid you the glass of water he’d also come back with. “Anything else?”
You shook your head as you downed the pills with a gulp of cold water. “Thank you,” you said, giving him a tired smile.
“It’s no problem,” Shane murmured, his brows bunching. “Is it always like this?”
“My periods? Yeah.”
“I’m sorry,” he said earnestly.
To your shock, he shuffled closer, armed with the hot water bottle, and slid it over your stomach. Heart fluttering in your chest, you eyed him curiously but remained quiet, content to let whatever was happening continue to unravel organically.
“This okay?” he asked as he moved behind you and pulled you down onto the couch to spoon you.
It was more than okay. It was actually everything you’d been wanting for weeks but were too chicken to do yourself.
“Perfect,” you hummed.
Shane’s sturdy body pressed against yours was akin to a sedative, and you couldn’t help but close your eyes and relax against him and let out a contented sigh when he wrapped his arm around your middle, holding the hot water bottle snug to your abdomen. He smelled of fresh laundry and hay, and you dreamt of turning toward him and burying your face into his hoodie so you could get even closer.
“This is nice,” you admitted.
Shane nodded into your shoulder. “It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me.”
“Thank you again. When this ibuprofen kicks in, we can head outside.”
“You’re not in any shape for farm work today,” he murmured. “Why don’t we just reschedule for a few days from now when you’re feeling better?”
“Shane,” you protested. “I don’t want to waste your time.”
“This is anything but a waste of my time.” His voice was a soft baritone rumble that sent warmth down your spine. “I want to be here for you. I don’t mind.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“You’re really comfy,” you whispered.
“Good,” he whispered back. “You are too.”
“You wanna hang out with me and watch movies all day?” Your pulse sped out of control as the words fell from your mouth. You hoped he’d say yes more than anything because you really enjoyed hanging out with him, and he was so comfortable that you never wanted him to leave.
“Now you’re speakin’ my language,” he laughed. “You wanna order pizza too?”
That brought a grin to your face. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Shane tightened his arm around your waist in a hug, and you closed your eyes on a happy sigh as all the tension left your body and your cramps dissipated. Yeah, the coop could wait. It could wait forever as far as you were concerned because there was nowhere else you’d rather be.