When he had pictured Gianna, she always looked as she did when he had seen her a little over a month prior. Like time had frozen for her in the weeks she was away from him. The Gianna in his mind's eye was as healthy as can be. All glowing skin, full cheeks when she smiled, and a bounce in her step when she walked.
To say the reality of how she looked was vastly different would be an understatement.
He had barely recognized the woman who had walked through the motel door. Her cheeks too pronounced, the line of her collarbone too deep. Her skin not only too pale, but papery thin. He could see the outline of veins that had not been there before. Instead of walking with a purpose, she dragged her feet. Each step looking like it took a great deal of effort to accomplish.
Even now as they drove away from the motel, she was fading. Dozing in the passenger seat. Her eyes would close for a minute or two, only for her to force them back open, fighting what was clearly a losing battle.
"Where will you be taking me? To your place?" She asked, her voice low, resigned. He wanted to tell her to just give in and rest, that they would talk later. But despite the evident exhaustion, there was a stubborn lilt in her voice. Whatever she was going to say, she would say it, it whether he liked it or not.
Oh, how he had missed her bull headed nature. Unbidden, a smile stretched his lips.
"Yes, we are going to my home," He told her. The penthouse was the safest place he could think of. A place he could be certain she was protected and get to see her whenever he wanted. But clearly that was not the answer she wanted to hear. She tensed, her eyes becoming more alert, her body no longer relaxed her hands going around her belly.
The reaction was clearly an unconscious one Nico's heart sank. Of course she did not want to go to his penthouse. Especially not after the way things had been there before she left. He had taken her into his home and had then proceeded to treat her like an unwelcome stranger.
She did not feel safe in his home…she did not feel safe with him.
That stung, but Nico understood where she was coming from. All she had was his word that he would not take the baby from her, nothing else. And even if he did not honour his promise it would be difficult for her to stand against him.
He had to do better in making sure she knew she was not a glorified prisoner.
"I can take you to your apartment if you want," Her eyes opened all the way, the shock and disbelief clear. She had clearly expected him to force her to stay with him the way he had the last time.
"Do you really mean it?" Her eyes were tearing up. The tears threatening to fall, and Nico fought the urge to hold her, clasping his hands loosely on his lap.
Though she would deny it and probably be angry at him for days if he mentioned it. It seemed the pregnancy hormones had made her overly emotional. And somehow Nico, who had never particularly been moved by the tears of women found himself wanting to make sure she never had reason to cry.
"Of course I mean it, I would not say so unless I really meant it. He had meant to be reassuring, but clearly he had said the wrong thing. Rather than relax further, she tensed.
Noticing him looking, she allowed her entire body to melt into the seat, her eyes closing and not reopening. Nico had never been dismissed in his life, and he found he did not like it one bit. But even with the dismissal, he let her be. He had not been sleeping well, worrying about her and the baby. But it seemed she too had been having problems with sleep.
Folding his arms over his chest, he left her to her to her fake sleep. A few minutes passed and she still did not open her eyes but she was shifting restlessly.
Unable to take it anymore, Nico moved, he uncrossed his hands and looked over at her. If she could pretend to be asleep, then he could pretend he believed that she was really sleeping.
He reached over, ignoring the way she tensed, her breathing stopping altogether. Very carefully, Nico moved her until she was lying down, her head on his lap. She inhaled sharply, then controlled her breaths with visible effort until she got them under control. Ignoring her, Nico stretched the seat belt so that it still held her but was not digging into her at any point. Through it all Gianna kept her eyes tightly closed and Nico bit back a smile.
The original idea had been to let her sleep somewhere more comfortable. But when he looked down, and saw her there, doggedly clinging to her ruse, he could not resist.
It was meant to just one touch, just to feel a single loc of hair. But the moment his fingers sunk into her hair, he was lost. Over and over he moved his hand through the silky strands. And as his fingers moved, a hum built up in him. Vibrating through his chest and escaping through his mouth. He was humming nonsense, just making random sounds. But he kept his voice low, never letting his fingers falter.
Soon enough, Gianna relaxed, then her breathing evened out. She was asleep within minutes, her soft snores filling the compartment. Pausing his strokes, Nico reached over and pressed a button. A second set of windows, even darker than the first came up and everything was plunged into darkness.
Leaning back into the chair and closing his eyes, Nico resumed running his hands through Gianna's hair. In the total darkness, her scent was stronger, still roses and soap. Warm and fresh, like summer, like spring, like all things good.
Nico had not known it was possible to miss a person's smell, but apparently he had missed Gianna's.
He breathed deep, in and out, savouring it. At some point his hand stopped moving through Gianna hair, his fingers caressing her exposed ear. Nico meant to just close his eyes for a bit, but with Gianna's weight on his lap, her calming scent enveloping him he slipped into dreamland without even noticing. It would only last until they reached their destination, but it would be the best rest either of them had had for a long while.