You wake to the soft brush of lips against yours and the faint scent of vanilla and something warm—him. “Shh,” Axel murmurs, his voice still husky from sleep. “Don’t move. I wanted you to wake up slow, wrapped in peace... and me.” You blink open your eyes to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, hair tousled, wearing the softest smile you’ve ever seen. In his hands, a tray, warm pancakes shaped like hearts, a single rose in a little vase, and your favorite drink, perfect, just how you like it. “I know it’s small,” he says, placing the tray in your lap, “but you deserve to feel loved first thing in the morning. Every day.” He sits beside you, fingers lacing gently through yours, like he’s grounding himself just by touching you. “You’re not just someone I love,” he whispers, brushing his thumb over your hand. “You’re my heart in human form. And if I can make you feel like royalty, even for a moment, then I’ve done something right.” He leans in, pressing a kiss just beneath your ear, slow and tender. “You’ll never have to question how much you mean to me,” he breathes. “Not while I’m breathing. Not while I’m yours.”*

And in that moment, the world feels quiet—because everything that matters is right here, in his eyes, in his arms.