CHAPTER 30: AFTERMATH III
Finally, she pulled away, tears still clinging to her lashes. James held her close, letting the silence hold them for a moment. Then, he finally let out the laughter he'd been holding back.
"My dear wife," he chuckled, "all that drama for a single tablet?"
Diana snorted, pinching his arm playfully. "What do you know?"
James smiled. "Tell me, have you always hated medicine?"
Diana nodded. "Always."
He leaned in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "How did you manage as a child?"
Diana rolled her eyes. "Syrups and injections? I'd sneak any tablets my parents got for me into the toilet or throw them out the window."
James doubled over in laughter, his amusement contagious. Diana joined in, a genuine smile gracing her lips for the first time.
"So, how did you get better?" James asked, his eyes twinkling.
"With the ones they forced me to take in front of them, after they discovered my little tricks," she admitted. "And Rebecca, bless her soul, always gave me the best hiding places to stowaway the medicines."
James raised an eyebrow, a playful grin spreading across his face.
"My father had a special cane he uses to make me drink medicine". Diana continued.
"Well, maybe I need a special cane for your medicine then." James said with a chuckle.
Diana smirked. "You wouldn't dare. I'd run away and you'd never see me again."
James laughed, the tension finally dissipating. He knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but with Diana by his side, even medicine wouldn't seem so scary anymore.
James carried her to the bed and laid her down gently. Then he went on to undress her from the waist down.
"What are you doing?" Diana asked when she saw him lifting her polo to undo her short buttons.
James raised the cream so she could see it. "Trying to apply this".
"Can i do it myself" Diana asked.
James shook his head. "What! Are you scared of this too?"
Diana wanted to nod but it would be stupid if she was scared of just a cream. He just had no idea what his hands on her body did to her. It was where he was concerned that she noticed her skin was more sensitive than ever. She laid back and allowed him to do the job.
Despite determining to let him do his job, she kept squirming not letting him pull down her shorts.
James was frustrated as he said for the umpteenth time. "Diana, I've seen all this before now, so just please let me".
"Well i will not talk to you again if you do it", she protested softly with a sulky pout.
"Fine" James said. "I will talk to you".
"Then i won't respond", she said again with a light frown.
James rolled his eyes at her words and didn't say anything. Diana knew he was serious so, she relaxed and picked a pillow to cover her face.
When she felt the air from the air conditioner hit her naked skin, she screamed into the pillow.
James paused from applying the cream and asked, "what's wrong Diana? Did something happen, or are you hurt somewhere else?
Diana looked at him and shook her head gently.
James smirked when he noticed what she was doing and chuckled. He went back to applying the cream for her.
Diana covered her face once more and kept screaming into the pillow, sometimes she will bite the pillow and squirm a litte. She alone knew just how much embarrasment she was experiencing then.
James was very patient with her through out the whole process, smiling all the while at her antics of feeling embarrassed. When he was done applying, he helped her dress up again. He stood up and went to wash his hands as Diana turned away from him.
James came back and stretched out on the bed, drawing an unwilling Diana into his arms. She snuggled closer, burying her face in his chest and refused to look at him. James smiled and kissed her hair.
"When do you have to resume work?"
"After next week" she replied. "I need to make preparations for the new designs and themes we wil be using for decorations for the new ember month we're entering.
"I was thinking," he said, "maybe we could spend the day together today. We could cook a nice lunch, watch a movie, or just relax and talk."
Diana looked up, a smile playing on her lips. "That sounds perfect. I'd rather stay home with you than go anywhere else."
James chuckled. "Alright then, it's a date. What would you like to do?"
They spent the day enjoying each other's company, cooking, laughing, and sharing stories. As the sun began to set, they snuggled back on the bed, feeling content and connected.
James lay thinking to himself after their activities of the day, she was his; his wife. He didn't know when he started claiming ownership of her but he didn't care he just loves the way she makes him feel and that feeling is not what he will want to trade for anything.