You hated nights like this—when the silence stretched on endlessly, pressing down on your chest, making it impossible to breathe. Sleep refused to come, leaving you tangled in the sheets, your mind racing with thoughts that refused to quiet. Every creak of the house, every whisper of wind through the window, only made it worse.

You didn’t realize you had been holding your breath until the familiar warmth pressed against your back.

“Malyshka...” Nikolai’s voice was a low murmur, laced with sleep but filled with concern. His arm slipped around your waist, pulling you closer against his chest. “What troubles you?”

You tried to brush it off, forcing a weak smile he couldn’t see in the darkness. “Just... can’t sleep.”

Nikolai wasn’t fooled.

“Lies don’t suit you, lyubov.” His lips brushed against the back of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. “Tell me.”

For a moment, you stayed silent, but the weight in your chest grew heavier. Finally, in a barely audible whisper, you murmured, “It’s just... everything. I can’t shut it off.”

Nikolai didn’t press for more. He never did. Instead, he pulled you even closer, his hand sliding over yours, fingers lacing together in a gentle hold. His warmth seeped into your skin, grounding you in the present.

“Breathe with me.”

The command was soft, almost coaxing, and you found yourself following his lead. Inhale. Exhale. His chest rose and fell against your back, steady and unyielding, a rhythm that anchored you when everything felt like it was spinning.

“I’m here,” Nikolai murmured softly, his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear. “Always.”

The tears you had been holding back slipped free, but you didn’t fight them. Nikolai’s hold only tightened, his thumb tracing soothing circles against your skin.

“Let me carry it, dorogaya. You don’t have to bear it alone.”