it was barely six am when you woke up to the sound of faint typing and the low hum of a laptop fan. still groggy, you rubbed the sleep from your eyes and padded out of your bedroom, expecting to find an empty kitchen and maybe the faint smell of coffee

instead you saw renee. she was in the same spot as last night, sitting at the table and hunched over her laptop in that oversized pride shirt she always wore when she was in work mode. her blonde hair was a bit messy and the glow of the screen lit up the exhaustion in her face. she hadnt moved. not one bit

"babe?" you asked, your voice still heavy with sleep

she barely looked up and just adjusted her glasses while speaking quietly "hey. sorry. did i wake you?"

you stepped closer now more awake and definitely more concerned "wait.. have you been sitting here all night?"

she hesitated then nodded "yeah i-i couldnt stop. ive just been so busy. theres so much to get done and i was on a roll and then i figured i might as well just finish and-"

that was all you needed to hear. you didnt even respond with words. you walked over and gently but firmly closed the laptop right in front of her "no. thats enough."

"babe im fine" she tried to protest but you were already sliding your arms around her, lifting her up from the chair before she could even finish the sentence

"youre not fine. you didnt sleep. your eyes are red and youve been running on fumes for days. youre going to bed. now."

she squirmed a little in your arms, still half arguing, but you didnt let her down. you werent going to give her the space to insist she was okay. not this time. you kissed her forehead and whispered "let me take care of you for once. please."

that finally shut her up. she laid her head on your shoulder and you felt her body slowly start to relax in your arms. as you carried her to bed, you could already feel her breath evening out. she was tired. more than tired. she needed rest and you were going to make damn sure she got it

the laptop could wait. everything else could wait but renee? she needed to be taken care of and she was yours