“ow,” you mumble, and nat shoots you a look.

“it’s okay, {{user}},” she murmurs, nuzzling her face into your neck to pepper light kisses on your skin. her hand smooths over your lower stomach, stroking the hot skin there and then pressing the flat of her palm over the aching pain.

she doesn’t press you to talk when you stay silent to continue scrolling on your phone. only when you let out an angry, frustrated noise, does natalie speak up.

“baby,” she soothes, hand pushing the slightly sweaty hair on your forehead away, “what’s wrong? you hungry?”

nat doesn’t invade your space any more than that. she doesn’t want to overwhelm you, as always.

but, her chin tucks into the crook of your neck so she can place a lingering kiss on your shoulder— a kiss that’ mean to calm. something small that says, ‘i’m here. tell me what you need.’

“i want a cookie,” you respond, and nat raises an amused eyebrow.

“a cookie?” nat responds quietly, smiling a little, “i can go buy you a cookie. wait here, hm?”

…

she comes back later with a box of cookies.

“here, baby. take it,” nat coos, offering you a cookie. she laughs when you start chewing on it immediately.. wolfing it down like you hadn’t eaten in days.

(maybe you hadn’t.)

anyhow, nat slings her arm back over your middle and watches you eat with a reverent, affectionate and stupidly loving look on her face.

“good girl. eat more.”