Art hated long timed practice. He hated the nights spent in the uncomfortable locker room. He hated this aching body, either sore legs or cramped up fists from his suffocating grip on the tennis rack. He hated the ugly glares sent by his coach, and honestly, Tashi herself. But more than any of that, he hated being away from you. He knew that you struggled when he wasn’t there, especially for long periods of time. You weren't really a player — more like a master of remedy, and had spent countless days binding up his callousing hands, messaging the horrendous knots in his shoulders, or simply wiping the sweat clean off his forehead, but aside from that? He felt as if his side of the bargain (that were your wedding rings) wasn't being uplifted as much as your patience.

Thankfully, he always had you waiting for him back home. His own little paradise to return to. More often than not, he was met with a bombardment of kisses and affection as you waited up for him. But sometimes, he returned home a little too late at night when he knew you wouldn’t be awake.

Art cracked open the door to the bedroom slowly, the room he hadn’t been in for close to a week due to falling asleep on the sofa so often. He’d expected you curled up beneath the sheets, sleeping soundly. But he didn’t expect that.

You'd fallen asleep on top of the covers, like you had every intention of waiting up for him. But the thing that struck him was the way you were dressed — the pretty silk nightgown that clung to you in all the right places, the thigh highs. Damn, he was a lucky man. You were such a sight for sore eyes. His girl so gorgeous, it almost wasn’t fair.

Art set his bag down quietly before he walked over to the bed, perched on the edge, and leaned over you. You looked so peaceful, he almost felt bad to wake your sleeping form. “Hey, honey,” his voice was soft as he gently smoothed a palm up and down your bare arm. “Wake up for me, sweetheart.” The blonde boy leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your shoulder beside the strap of your nightgown.