I Love You In All The Quiet Ways Too
Lia got sick two weeks later.
And Adrian completely lost his mind.
Not publicly.
Not dramatically.
Quietly.
Thoroughly.
Like the simple fact she felt unwell personally offended him on a spiritual level.
—
Friday evening arrived cold and rainy.
The city blurred silver beneath heavy clouds while soft thunder rolled somewhere far beyond the skyline.
Lia sat curled beneath blankets on the couch feeling absolutely miserable.
Her throat hurt.
Her head hurt.
Even breathing felt emotionally exhausting.
Which honestly seemed unfair.
The television played softly in the background, mostly ignored while she tried surviving the worst cold of her life.
Then—
footsteps.
Adrian emerged from the kitchen carrying tea, medicine, a blanket she already had, and enough concern to medically qualify as a crisis.
"You're shivering again."
Lia blinked slowly up at him.
"You say that every six minutes."
"You keep shivering every six minutes."
Unfortunately—
fair.
Adrian set everything down before immediately kneeling beside the couch.
Not caring about expensive slacks against hardwood floors.
Not caring about literally anything except her.
Warm fingers brushed gently against her forehead.
Checking.
Always checking.
His expression tightened instantly.
"You still feel warm."
"I'm literally sick."
"You sounded worse when I called earlier."
The rough concern in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because Adrian sounded genuinely distressed by this.
Lia reached weakly for his wrist.
"You're overreacting."
"No," he murmured quietly.
His thumb brushed softly beneath her eye.
"You don't feel good."
God.
The sincerity nearly ruined her emotionally even through a fever.
Adrian adjusted the blanket around her more securely afterward despite the fact she already looked aggressively wrapped in fabric.
Then he handed her the tea carefully.
"Drink."
"You're very bossy when worried."
"I'm always bossy."
Unfortunately—
also true.
Lia took a small sip while Adrian watched with alarming concentration.
Like hydration alone now determined his emotional stability.
The realization made warmth spread through her chest despite feeling awful.
Adrian sat beside her afterward without hesitation.
Close enough that his thigh pressed lightly against hers beneath the blankets.
Grounding himself again.
He always did that when worried.
Touching her somehow.
Like physical contact reassured him she was okay.
Lia noticed everything about him now too.
"You canceled dinner tonight."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You're sick."
"It was important."
"You're important."
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
Never hesitation.
God.
Even sick she still wasn't immune to that.
Adrian reached for the medicine again before handing it toward her patiently.
Lia stared at it dramatically.
"I hate you."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"No you don't."
Unfortunately—
again—
fair.
After taking the medicine, Lia slumped farther beneath the blankets while Adrian watched her carefully.
Too carefully.
His gaze tracked every tiny movement.
Every shift.
Every cough.
"You're hovering."
"I'm monitoring."
"That sounds medically illegal."
A faint smile touched his mouth briefly.
Gone almost as quickly.
Because underneath everything—
he still looked worried.
Really worried.
Lia's chest tightened instantly.
"You know I'm not dying, right?"
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
"I know."
But he didn't sound convincing.
The realization hit her hard.
Because suddenly—
she understood.
This wasn't about the cold.
Adrian simply didn't know how to stay calm when something hurt her.
Even something small.
The realization wrapped painfully around her heart.
Lia reached toward him slowly from beneath the blankets.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian took her hand instantly.
Warm fingers intertwining tightly with hers.
Like instinct.
"You look scared," she whispered softly.
Silence.
Thunder rolled faintly outside while soft rain tapped against the windows.
Then finally—
"I hate seeing you uncomfortable."
The honesty shattered straight through her chest.
Because Adrian sounded helpless about it.
Like loving her made even tiny suffering unbearable to witness.
Lia squeezed his hand gently.
"You took care of me all week when you were sick."
"That's different."
"How?"
A quiet breath escaped him.
"I'm used to enduring things."
The words settled heavily between them.
Lia stared at him silently.
Because suddenly—
she realized Adrian genuinely meant that.
Pain.
Stress.
Loneliness.
He carried suffering like routine.
But the second it touched her?
He unraveled.
The realization hurt more than the fever.
Lia shifted slowly beneath the blankets before resting lightly against his shoulder.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian's arm wrapped around her automatically.
Protective.
Careful.
Like holding her gently might somehow help.
"You know what your problem is?" she murmured softly.
His chin rested lightly against the top of her head.
"What?"
"You love me like losing me would destroy you."
Silence crashed softly through the apartment.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Then Adrian's arm tightened almost imperceptibly around her.
"Yes."
No denial.
No hesitation.
Just truth.
The honesty nearly broke her completely.
Lia closed her eyes briefly against his shoulder while rain echoed around the penthouse.
Warm blankets.
Soft lighting.
Adrian's heartbeat steady beneath her cheek.
Home.
Then quietly—
before she could stop herself—
"I love you like that too."
The words slipped out naturally.
Softly.
But the effect on Adrian was immediate.
His entire body went still.
Completely still.
Lia lifted her head slightly.
Big mistake.
Because the look on his face nearly ruined her permanently.
Gone.
Absolutely gone.
Not shocked.
Not confused.
Just emotionally wrecked by hearing it out loud.
"You do?" he whispered roughly.
Her chest physically hurt.
Because Adrian sounded almost afraid to believe it.
Lia reached up slowly, brushing her fingers gently against his cheek.
"I love you in all the quiet ways too."
Silence filled the room afterward.
Rain against windows.
Thunder far away.
Their breathing mixing together in the warm apartment.
Then Adrian leaned down slowly and kissed her like she'd just handed him something sacred.