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Married life was not a difficult adjustment. They had already been through so much, to live together was only a change of scenery. To share a bedroom was a change of intimacy.In fact, there's a lot you can learn about a person from their room. Their hobbies, their work, their personality, and their history.In particular, Marth and Caeda's bedroom was simple, and tidy.They liked to keep the curtains drawn, especially during the day, and on particularly bright nights.A few potted flowers sat near the window. None too large or too difficult to take care of. Most were gifts. The others, found in a field, or at the market.The decor of the room was mainly made of carved wood, and colored warmly. Every object had been worn, slightly, nothing seemed particularly new or untouched. But, everything felt cared for. Lived in.There were a few stacks of papers on Marth's desk, ranging from important documents to personal letters, that he had made a point to sort through today. It took longer than anticipated. He'd been slowly working on it throughout the entire day, between meals and other activities, from morning until night.The moment he signed the last paper, he drifted off to sleep where he sat, his head propped up by his arms; which acted as a makeshift pillow.At the time, when she spotted him, Caeda had already dressed herself in a nightgown; it was late, after all.She took a moment or two to watch as his back rose and fell, just slightly, with each quiet breath—loosely twirling a ribbon from her dress in her fingers as she did.He snored.And Caeda smiled, with a giggle. One soft enough not to disturb him. Nothing was particularly funny, or out of the ordinary. She was only happy to be there, to have witnessed little things like this.She knew he eventually had to move away from his desk and into their bed. He couldn't stay like this, of course, his muscles would ache and stiffen by the morning. So, the only solution would be to move him there herself."Marth," she whispered, nudging him lightly. His only reply was a slight smile and a pleased hum.At the very least, he was half asleep.Caeda sighed. "Okay." Carefully, she wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted him up, onto his feet. "Time for you to get to bed."As she gently led Marth towards their bedside, he leaned his head onto her shoulder and drowsily shuffled his feet. The pressure and warmth only added weight to her eyes—she wanted to fall asleep next to him then and there.The moment she was close enough, she folded their plush, downy blanket to the side, lifted him into their bed, and tucked it over his body. As he relaxed, he almost seemed to sink into the sheets.Before she could join him, she made a point to blow out the candle atop his desk. Yet, a small flame of curiosity similarly flickered in her eyes, and her attention wandered to the papers strewn about first.
"She soars, high above,"
Four words that drew her further in, the only ones left visible from underneath a blank sheet of paper.She felt slightly unsure of who, exactly, he was writing about. It was his handwriting, at least. No one else she knew wrote in such a delicate way.She glanced back at Marth, who was sound asleep.
...One peek shouldn't hurt.
Quietly, she slid the blank paper on top off in order to read the rest.
"She soars, high above, and I cannot help but gaze in awe."
He had told her this, almost exactly, at least once before.Oh.It was about her.She felt a bit silly for wondering otherwise.
"If I did not know of her humanity, I would think she was an angel, descending upon this earth's soil to bless me with good fortune."
His choice of words almost made her eyes roll.
"Although, she is not far off."
If not for flushing her cheeks, first.
"Whenever I see her, the room brightens, and I am filled with hope. She may as well have wings of her own.
Her kindness alone knows no bounds. And I am endlessly grateful that I was able to meet her. To return even a fraction of her love.
In truth, I cannot imagine my life without her."
The rest of the page was blank. She peeked underneath that sheet of paper, to find another piece of writing.
"Most days, I reminisce about our wedding. To say that was the prettiest she had ever been would be a lie. Every day, every aspect of her somehow grows more and more beautiful. I find myself falling in love over and over again."
She quickly returned the papers to their original places. There was more to be read from that page, though she felt too flustered to continue.Only then, did she realize her face was warmer than usual.Caeda glanced again at Marth, who had rolled onto his side while she wasn't looking. He held a small, bundled section of the blanket underneath his arm, almost as if he was hugging it. Her heart fluttered.She blew out his candle, at last, and returned to bed. As slowly as possible, she laid down next to him, underneath the covers.Gazing upon his back, she listened to each breath he took, soft and light in the silence of night.Tonight, he looked different. Kinder. Brighter. She hadn't thought it possible, and yet it was.She raised her arm, lightly hovering it over his body in unexplained hesitance. And her cheeks flushed again.To her surprise, he rolled over, gently wrapping her in his arms.She could feel her heart beating through her chest. She almost worried if he could feel it, too. Though, none of that mattered. She was where she wanted to be. And felt a new appreciation for it. Like she was falling for him all over again.She released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and rested her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you too," he replied.